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Reminyl (Galantamine) Approved In Sweden For Alzheimer's-Related Dementia BEERSE, BELGIUM and ANDOVER, ENGLAND -- March 3 -- Reminyl(R) (galantamine), a new symptomatic treatment for dementia of the Alzheimer's type, received its first regulatory approval within the European Union from Sweden, announced Janssen-Cilag and Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc. Reminyl will subsequently be submitted through the EU Mutual Recognition Procedure to gain marketing approval in Europe.Like other therapies currently on the market, Reminyl boosts the levels of acetylcholine in the brain by blocking the action of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. However, unlike other therapies, research indicates that Reminyl has a second mechanism of action: it acts on nicotinic receptors in the brain. The modulation of these receptors is thought to increase the release of acetylcholine(1,2,3). An important feature of Alzheimer's disease is the progressive loss of cholinergic nerve cells, leading to a decline of critical chemical signals in the brain.