The oral medication cannot cure, reverse, or slow Alzheimer’s disease progression. However, it may help people with Alzheimer’s retain some of their memory and thinking skills temporarily, according toElaine Peskind, MD, a psychiatrist at the Veterans Administration in Washington State and a former director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the University of Washington.
How Does Zunveyl Work?
Zunveyl is acholinesterase inhibitor, a class of medications that helps preserve acetylcholine—a brain chemical involved in thinking and memory.Alzheimer’s disease destroys the brain cells that make acetylcholine, and cholinesterase inhibitors slow this process while making more of this chemical available.
“That only helps for a short while—maybe just months—in some patients before acetylcholine is no longer produced,” Peskind told Verywell.
Many patients had to stop taking the original drug Razadyne soon after starting it because of gastrointestinal symptoms such as increased bowel movements, vomiting, and nausea, saidRebecca Edelmayer, PhD, vice president of scientific engagement at the Alzheimer’s Association.
However, Zunveyl is a “prodrug” of galantamine (the active ingredient in Razadyne), meaning it’s only converted into galantine after it enters the body and passes through the GI tract. This helps to reduce GI side effects from the drug.
The approval of Zunveyl was based on showing that it was chemically similar to galantamine, an already approved drug. During clinical trials, the most common side effects (occurring in 5% or more of the people taking the drug rather than the placebo) were nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, and decreased appetite.
“Sometimes we can tell that the treatment is working, but sometimes we can’t, because patients can’t tell us,” Peskind said. “So long as it’s not causing side effects, it’s worth continuing the medication.”
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How Much Does Zunveyl Cost?
For people without insurance, the monthly out-of-pocket cost will be $500 to $700. The company also launched a financial patient assistance program for people in long-term care.
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Edelmayer said that the Alzheimer’s caregiver and patient community is waiting for the drug because “we know that side effects related to GI issues can be something that is limiting for these types of treatments, so [some] people don’t stay on them long enough to actually get the benefit.”
Hopefully, Alzheimer’s patients “would have another more sustainable option for treating their cognition and function,” she said.
What This Means For You
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Alpha Cognition.Alpha Cognition’s oral therapy Zunveyl® receives FDA approval to treat Alzheimer’s disease.National Library of Medicine: DailyMed.Zunveyl—benzgalantamine tablet, delayed release[drug label].
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Alpha Cognition.Alpha Cognition’s oral therapy Zunveyl® receives FDA approval to treat Alzheimer’s disease.National Library of Medicine: DailyMed.Zunveyl—benzgalantamine tablet, delayed release[drug label].
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Alpha Cognition.Alpha Cognition’s oral therapy Zunveyl® receives FDA approval to treat Alzheimer’s disease.National Library of Medicine: DailyMed.Zunveyl—benzgalantamine tablet, delayed release[drug label].
Alpha Cognition.Alpha Cognition’s oral therapy Zunveyl® receives FDA approval to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
National Library of Medicine: DailyMed.Zunveyl—benzgalantamine tablet, delayed release[drug label].
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