Alzheimer's drug rivastigmine

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Although only one type of medication is now available for use as an Alzheimer's disease therapeutic in Japan, a number of others are now in clinical trials, promising doctors a choice of treatments for symptoms.

Eli Lilly Japan KK and Wyeth KK, both arms of U.S. pharmaceutical firms, are each conducting phase I clinical trials on antibody drugs against beta-amyloid, the protein in the plaques associated Alzheimer's disease. Their efforts are the first Japanese trials of beta-amyloid antagonists.

GlaxoSmithKline KK, an arm of the U.K.'s GlaxoSmithKline Plc, has begun phase II trials on the use of Avandia -- a diabetes drug whose generic name is rosiglitazone maleate -- to treat patients with a certain Alzheimer's-related mutation. The rosiglitazone helps improve glucose metabolism in the brain and prevent inflammation of brain tissue.

Ono Pharmaceutical Co. (TSE:4528) and Novartis Pharma KK, an arm of Swiss giant Novartis AG, will soon enter into phase III trials on use of the Alzheimer's drug rivastigmine in the form of a transdermal patch. Rivastigmine is already available in more than 70 countries, but not in Japan and only in capsule and liquid forms.