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A new study has revealed that Viagra may be one of our best options available for treating Alzheimer’s disease. Reusing treatments to treat multiple conditions is faster, safer and less expensive.
A recent classification of existing drugs and vaccines, in Springer Nature Linknamed treatment for erectile dysfunction marketed under the brand name Viagra as one of our best options for protecting individuals against Alzheimer.
As detailed by , this review comes from a panel of 21 experts who created a list of 80 candidates that demonstrate potential in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorder. Of these, three ultimately stood out: sildenafil (Viagra), Zostavax (a shingles vaccine), and riluzole (a medication used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
These treatments had already been linked to the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease in previous studies, but this review used what is known as a consensus. Delphi – a structured process often used in medicine and public health to help groups reach decisions that everyone can support.
“The tolerability of each of these compounds is also suitable for administration to a more frail population of older individuals as part of a well-monitored clinical trial program. We therefore recommend each of these therapeutic approaches as a high priority for clinical trials for the treatment or prevention of Alzheimer’s disease,” the researchers wrote in their paper published in November.
The three big candidates
Sildenafil is an inhibitor that relaxes blood vessels and is commonly used to promote erections. Previous studies had shown how may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by decreasing the toxic build-up of the tau protein so common in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.
The Zostavax shingles vaccine, in turn, proved even more promising than sildenafil. Although the relationship is not fully understood, previous studies suggest that the vaccine boosts the immune system to protect against Alzheimer’s.
Finally, there is riluzole, a drug that prevents the death of neurons by altering biological and reduce levels of brain chemicals previously associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
However, as promising as these candidates appear, It cannot yet be definitively stated that these drugs can prevent or reverse Alzheimer’s in human patients..
The next phase of the process – comprehensive clinical trials – should say much more about how useful these treatments can be.
“It is important to emphasize that these medicines need additional research before we know whether they can be used to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s”, he warned, in , Anne Corbettresearcher at the University of Exeter, in the United Kingdom.
