Amyloid-Targeting Drugs for the Treatment of Alzheimer Disease

ABSTRACT

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, characterized by cognitive impairment, neurobehavioral changes, and loss of functional ability. Current therapeutic options for AD are limited to medications that contribute to modest symptomatic improvement. The amyloid β (Aβ) peptide is central to the pathogenesis, so that immunotherapy targeting Aβ has been focused as a putative disease-modifying treatment for AD. In this review, I review the ongoing Aβ -directed immunotherapies, including aducanumab, which is the new AD medication since 2003 as well as the first disease-modifying treatment on the market approved by the Food and Drug Administration.