Alzheimer disease
A brain disease that slowly harms memory and thinking, and the most common cause of dementia in older people. Medicines cannot stop it, but some can keep the symptoms from getting worse for a while. Most people who get it are over 65, and the risk rises with age: about 1 in 6 people over 80 has it or another type of dementia. The changes in the brain start many years before the first signs appear.
Read more about Alzheimer diseaseTrial-stage treatments and research studies you can join
Filters
- Tests ALN-APP, an injected drug, in early-onset Alzheimer's disease
Tests the safety of ALN-APP, given by spinal injection, in adults with early-onset Alzheimer's.
Indianapolis, United StatesAlso La JollaAge 18+ - Long-Term Safety Study of KarXT for Psychosis in Alzheimer's Disease
Tests KarXT, a long-term safety study in people with Alzheimer's-related psychosis.
Anaheim, United StatesAlso Arlington, Atlanta, Atlantis, Belmont, Berwyn, Bloomfield Township, Boca Raton, Bonita Springs, …Age 55 to 90 - Tests ML-007C-MA for hallucinations and delusions in Alzheimer's disease psychosis
Tests ML-007C-MA against placebo in people with Alzheimer's psychosis.
Alexandria, United StatesAlso Anaheim, Augusta, Austin, Bellevue, Boca Raton, Dayton, Deerfield Beach, Denver, …Age 55 to 90 - Long-term study of KarXT and KarX-EC for agitation in Alzheimer's disease
Tests KarXT and KarX-EC over time in people with Alzheimer's-related agitation.
Anaheim, United StatesAlso Atlanta, Aventura, Bennington, Blue Ash, Bonita Springs, Bountiful, Carrollton, Chandler, …Age 55 to 90 - Long-term safety of ML-007C-MA for hallucinations and delusions in Alzheimer's disease
Tests ML-007C-MA over 52 weeks in adults with Alzheimer's disease psychosis.
Anaheim, United StatesAlso Denver, Doral, Independence, Miami, Miami Gardens, Orlando, SnellvilleAge 55 to 91 - Brain training with or without psilocybin in older adults with Alzheimer's disease
Tests brain training, with or without psilocybin, in older adults with Alzheimer's disease.
Baltimore, United StatesAge 65 to 120 - Checks long-term safety of buntanetap in people with Alzheimer's disease
Follows people with Alzheimer's disease who took part in an earlier buntanetap study.
Arlington, United StatesAlso Austin, Daytona Beach, Decatur, Englewood, Gainesville, Maitland, Matthews, Merritt Island, …Age 55+ - Testing a hearing care program for older adults with dementia
Tests a hearing care program for older adults with dementia and hearing loss.
Baltimore, United StatesAge 60 to 100 - Tests KarXT for agitation in people with Alzheimer's disease
Tests KarXT against placebo in adults with Alzheimer's-related agitation.
Anaheim, United StatesAlso Bennington, Bloomfield Hills, Colorado Springs, Columbia, El Paso, Foxborough, Fresno, Gaithersburg, …Age 55 to 90 - EXV-802 and EXV-801 for agitation in people with Alzheimer's disease dementia
Tests EXV-802 and EXV-801 against placebo for agitation in Alzheimer's disease dementia.
Bennington, United StatesAlso Brooklyn, Flowood, Independence, Indianapolis, Murrieta, New York, PortlandAge 55 to 90 - Interleukin-2 With Semaglutide for People With Alzheimer's Disease
Tests interleukin-2 alone or with semaglutide in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Houston, United StatesAge 50 to 86 - Testing SAR448851, a daily pill, in people with early Alzheimer's disease
Tests SAR448851 against placebo in people with early Alzheimer's disease.
Dallas, United StatesAlso East Providence, Long Beach, Naples, Newton, Oakland, Orlando, Plymouth Meeting, Portland, …Age 55 to 85 - Trontinemab for people at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease who have no memory problems
Tests trontinemab in people with early Alzheimer's disease changes but no symptoms.
Arlington, United StatesAlso Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Honolulu, Irvine, Laurelton, Long Beach, Los Angeles, …Age 55 to 80 - Tests RO7568282 against a placebo in early Alzheimer's disease
Compares RO7568282 with a placebo in people in early Alzheimer's disease.
Laurelton, United StatesAlso Stuart, Wellington, Winter ParkAge 50 to 90 - Tests ACP-204 for psychosis in people with Alzheimer's disease
Tests ACP-204 against placebo in adults with Alzheimer's disease psychosis.
Abington, United StatesAlso Amherst, Anaheim, Atlanta, Aventura, Beachwood, Centerville, Chandler, Costa Mesa, …Age 55 to 95 - Early safety study of LY4405094, an amyloid-targeting drug, in Alzheimer's disease
Tests LY4405094 for safety in healthy adults and adults with Alzheimer's disease.
Anaheim, United StatesAlso Daytona Beach, Decatur, Farmington Hills, Irvine, Lady Lake, Los Alamitos, Maitland, Orlando, …Age 18 to 85 - Comparing Two Versions of a Brain Scan Dye for Detecting Amyloid in Memory Problems
Compares a new and the current flutemetamol scan agent in people with cognitive problems.
Aventura, United StatesAlso Gainesville, Merritt Island, Miami, Winter ParkAge 50 to 110 - Long-term study of ACP-204 for psychosis linked to Alzheimer's disease
Checks the long-term safety of ACP-204 in older adults with Alzheimer's psychosis.
Abington, United StatesAlso Aventura, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Doral, Fresno, Garden Grove, Hialeah, Houston, …Age 55 to 95 - Donanemab for early memory and thinking decline with Lewy body features
Tests donanemab against placebo in people with early cognitive decline and Lewy body features.
Atlantis, United StatesAlso Aventura, Beaumont, Bolivar, Carlsbad, Chandler, Charlestown, Dallas, Delray Beach, …Age 55 to 85 - Tests LY3439539 effects on spinal fluid proteins in Alzheimer's disease
Studies how LY3439539 affects certain proteins in spinal fluid of people with Alzheimer's.
Farmington Hills, United StatesAlso Irvine, Lady Lake, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Maitland, Oakland, OrlandoAge 50 to 85
Where treatment stands
In the EU, lecanemab was first approved in April 2025 and donanemab in September 2025.
Approved: 12
Officially approved for this disease in the EU, the US, Switzerland or France.
Human testing stage: 29
Being tested in people. Many treatments at this stage are never approved.
Animal testing stage: 5
Worked in animals in a study published in the last 12 months. Most treatments at this stage never reach people.
Lab research stage: 1
Worked on cells in the lab in a study published in the last 12 months. Most early ideas never reach people.
Placebo: a dummy treatment without the medicine, used for comparison.
Phase 1, 2, 3: the steps of testing in people. Phase 1 checks safety, phase 3 is the last step before approval.
The EU medicines agency (EMA) and its list of medicines in the EU, US prescribing labels (DailyMed, openFDA), the Swiss medicines register (Swissmedic), the French medicines database (ANSM) and the Health Canada drug database, checked on 11 November 2026. Every medicine links to its own official text.
A computer made this list from the official texts: it kept only medicines whose own approval text names the disease, wrote "Who it is for" from that text and checked it against the text a second time. People have not reviewed it yet.
The EU medicines agency (EMA), ClinicalTrials.gov and the EU trials register, checked on 10 November 2026. Every treatment links to its own records; the texts are written by AI from them.
Medicines approved only in single countries are not included. We did not check in which countries a medicine is sold or paid for. Phase 3 trials are listed from every country; only some phase 2 trials are listed, so 99 other open phase 2 trials are not listed.
Animal and lab research: studies listed in PubMed and published in the 12 months before 12 November 2026, found by a search for Alzheimer's disease. AI chose the treatments from the study summaries and wrote the texts; a second AI checked each one against its study summary. People have not reviewed them yet. Treatments already in the approved or human testing lists are left out. A result in animals or cells does not show that a treatment works in people.
Not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before you change any treatment.
The approval records under a medicine come from Drugs@FDA and the FDA labels (openFDA) and from the EU medicines agency’s medicine data, with its orphan designations, checked on 13 Nov 2026. A date is the medicine’s first approval, for any use; the quoted text is its approved use as written today.
Support organisations
Patient organisations and helplines in United States, for you and your family.
Alzheimer disease organisations in United States
- Alzheimer's Association – 24/7 Helpline
Free 24/7 helpline of the Alzheimer's Association (800.272.3900) giving information and support on Alzheimer's and other dementias, with a live person by phone.
- Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA)
Helpline staffed by licensed social workers (daily 9-21 ET; text 646-586-5283), free virtual memory screenings.
- Alzheimer's Association
Free 24/7 Helpline (interpreters for 200+ languages), care consultations with dementia experts, local chapters, Community Resource Finder, ALZConnected online community.
- Alzheimer's Los Angeles
Serves people with Alzheimer's or other dementias and their families in Los Angeles County with a helpline, support groups, care counseling and education.
- Alzheimer's Orange County
Provides free care and support services for people affected by Alzheimer's disease and dementia in Orange County.
- Alzheimer's San Diego
Provides care, support and information for individuals and caregivers affected by memory loss in San Diego.
- BrightFocus Foundation
US nonprofit that funds research and provides public information on Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration and glaucoma.
- UsAgainstAlzheimer's
US nonprofit advocacy organization working to stop Alzheimer's disease through advocacy, research engagement and support for people affected.
General support in United States
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
US national 24/7 free and confidential lifeline for anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, reachable by calling or texting 988 or by chat.
- MedlinePlus
Free, easy-to-read health information service of the US National Library of Medicine (NIH) on diseases, conditions, drugs and wellness.
International organisations
- Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
Funds the early work on new Alzheimer's medicines, in universities and companies.
- Dementia Alliance International (DAI)
Organisation for people with a dementia diagnosis: free online peer support groups, webinars, Brain Health Hub, resources for care partners.
Offer tissue or data
There are three ways to help research move faster.
Treatments approved outside the EU
Medicines for Alzheimer disease approved in the US or Japan that are not approved in the EU.
Checked on 11 Nov 2026 in the official lists of the US (FDA), Japan (PMDA, approvals since April 2004) and the EU (EMA). 4 uncertain matches are left out.
Your health insurer may pay part of the cost, sometimes all of it. This depends on your insurer, your plan and the country, so always ask your insurer before you go. For planned care in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, ask about form S2.
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“Cures” others already fact-checked
- Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) & Alzheimer disease
- Curcumin (turmeric) & Alzheimer disease
- Stem cell treatment & Alzheimer disease
- CBD (cannabidiol) & Alzheimer disease
About Alzheimer disease
Sources: NHS, MedlinePlus, Archives of Neurology
A brain disease that slowly harms memory and thinking, and the most common cause of dementia in older people. Medicines cannot stop it, but some can keep the symptoms from getting worse for a while. Most people who get it are over 65, and the risk rises with age: about 1 in 6 people over 80 has it or another type of dementia. The changes in the brain start many years before the first signs appear.
What is it?
Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia: a steady loss of memory, thinking and other mental abilities. Proteins build up in and around brain cells. One protein (amyloid) forms clumps around the cells, another (tau) forms tangles inside them. Over time parts of the brain shrink, usually the memory areas first. These changes begin many years before any signs. It is not a normal part of getting older.
Most people who get it are over 65, and the risk rises with age: about 1 in 14 people over 65 and 1 in 6 over 80 have Alzheimer's or another type of dementia. Genes usually raise the risk only a little. In a few families a single gene causes it, and then it is much more likely to be passed on.
The first signs
The signs come on slowly over several years and are sometimes taken for normal ageing.
- forget recent conversations or events;
- misplace things and forget the names of places and objects;
- struggle to find the right word, or ask the same questions again and again;
- find decisions harder and become more hesitant about trying new things;
- feel anxious, agitated or confused at times.
How doctors find out
There is no simple, reliable test. The doctor checks your general health, may order blood tests and ask about your medicines to rule out other causes, and asks you to do some memory and thinking tasks. You may then be sent to a specialist, who may work at a memory clinic, for more tests such as a brain scan (CT or MRI). Finding out can take many months and several appointments.
Current treatment
Symptom medicines (e.g. donepezil) plus support
Will it get worse?
Yes. It is a progressive illness: the symptoms get worse slowly over several years. It gets worse slowly, at a different pace for each person. In the middle stage people usually need support with everyday living, such as help with eating, washing, getting dressed and using the toilet. In the severe stages they may need full-time care. People may live for several years after the signs begin, but this varies a lot. Alzheimer's shortens life, though many people with it die of something else.
Medicines: what helps, and what to watch for
Medicines cannot cure Alzheimer's, but some can ease the symptoms for a time. Donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmine raise acetylcholine, a brain chemical that helps nerve cells pass messages; they are used in the early and middle stages. Memantine works in a different way and is used when the disease is moderate or severe.
Good to know:
- specialists, such as psychiatrists or neurologists, can prescribe these medicines; your family doctor may prescribe them on a specialist's advice;
- feeling sick, being sick and losing your appetite can be side effects, and they usually get better after about 2 weeks;
- memantine can cause headaches, dizziness and constipation, which usually pass;
- for aggression or extreme distress, other ways of coping are tried first; antipsychotic medicines have serious side effects, so they should be used at the lowest dose for the shortest time possible.
Exercise and therapy help too
Some treatments without medicines can help memory, problem solving, mood and wellbeing:
- cognitive stimulation therapy: group activities and exercises for memory and problem solving;
- cognitive rehabilitation: working with a professional, such as an occupational therapist, and a relative or friend towards a personal goal, like using a mobile phone;
- reminiscence and life story work: talking about the past with the help of photos, objects or music.
Exercise regularly, for example with a daily walk, gardening, tai chi or dancing.
Median survival
About 3 to 8 years after diagnosis, depending on age at diagnosis
Measured in: Participants of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging older than 55, followed 1985–1999
The figures behind it
Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (participants older than 55, followed 1985–1999): median survival 8.3 years when Alzheimer disease was diagnosed at age 65, down to 3.4 years when it was diagnosed at age 90; no significant difference between men and women.
Sources
Written in plain words by Frontlight from these pages:
- MedlinePlus: Alzheimer's Disease
- NHS: Alzheimer's disease – Overview
- NHS: Alzheimer's disease – Causes
- NHS: Alzheimer's disease – Symptoms
- NHS: Alzheimer's disease – Diagnosis
- NHS: Alzheimer's disease – Treatment
- NHS: Living well with dementia
- Archives of Neurology: Survival following a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease