Galantamine / galanthamine ( Reminyl, Razadyne ) for Alzheimer's diseaseACKGROUND: Galantamine (also called galanthamine, marketed as Reminyl (Janssen)) was isolated from several plants, including daffodil bulbs, but is now synthesized. Galantamine is a specific, competitive, and reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. It is also an allosteric modulator at nicotinic cholinergic receptor sites potentiating cholinergic nicotinic neurotransmission. A small number of early studies showed mild cognitive and global benefits for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and recently several multicenter clinical trials have been published with positive findings. Galantamine has received regulatory approval in 29 counties: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Czechia, the European Union (except for The Netherlands), Iceland, Korea, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United States. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this overview is to assess the clinical effects of galantamine in patients with probable AD, and to investigate potential moderators of an effect. SEARCH STRATEGY: The trials were identified from a search of the Specialized Register of the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group on 4 July 2001 using the terms galantamine and Reminyl.
