Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Galanthamine

  • New Drug Profile
  • Published:
Drugs & Aging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

  • ▲ Galanthamine is a selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitor which has shown potential for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

  • ▲ Galanthamine is selective for acetylcholinesterase versus butyrylcholinesterase; however, the drug produces greater enzyme inhibition in human erythrocytes than in human brain tissue.

  • ▲ Galanthamine attenuates drug- and lesion-induced cognitive deficits in animal models of learning and memory.

  • ▲ Preliminary results in patients with Alzheimer’s disease have reported galanthamine to be associated with a reduction in cognitive deterioration on some neuropsychiatric rating scales.

  • ▲ Nausea and vomiting are the most commonly reported adverse effects; liver toxicity has not been reported to date.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bonner J. Flower bulbs slow brain disease. New Sci 1995 Feb 11; 145: 21

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bickel U, Thomsen T, Fischer JP, et al. Galanthamine: pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and cholinesterase inhibition in brain of mice. Neuropharmacology 1991 May; 30: 447–54

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Thomsen T, Kewitz H. Selective inhibition of human acetylcholinesterase by galanthamine in vitro and in vivo. Life Sci 1990; 46: 1553–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Pacheco G, Palacios-Esquivel R, Moss DE. Cholinesterase inhibitors proposed for treating dementia in Alzheimer’s disease: selectivity toward human brain acetylcholinesterase compared with butyryleholinesterase. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1995; 274(2): 767–70

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Thomsen T, Kaden B, Fischer JP, et al. Inhibition of acetyleholinesterase activity in human brain tissue and erythrocytes by galanthamine, physostigmine and tacrine. Eur J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 1991 Aug; 29: 487–92

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Sweeney JE, Puttfarcken PS, Coyle JT. Galanthamine, an acetyleholinesterase inhibitor: a time course of the effects on performance and neurochemical parameters in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1989 Sep; 34: 129–37

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Bickel U, Thomsen T, Weber W, et al. Pharmacokinetics of galanthamine in humans and corresponding cholinesterase inhibition. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1991 Oct; 50: 420–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Thomsen T, Bickel U, Fischer JP, et al. Stereoselectivity of cholinesterase inhibition by galanthamine and tolerance in humans. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1990 Dec; 39: 603–5

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Chopin P, Briley M. Effects of four non-cholinergic cognitive enhancers in comparison with tacrine and galanthamine on scopolamine-induced amnesia in rats. Psychopharmacology 1992 Jan; 106:26–30

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Fishkin RJ, Ince ES, Carlezon WA Jr, et al. D-cycloserine attenuates scopolamine-induced learning and memory deficits in rats. Behav Neural Biol 1993 Mar; 59: 150–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Sweeney JE, Höhmann CF, Moran TH, et al. A long-acting cholinesterase inhibitor reverses spatial memory deficits in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1988 Sep; 31: 141–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Sweeney JE, Bachman ES, Coyle JT. Effects of different doses of galanthamine, a long-acting acetyleholinesterase inhibitor, on memory in mice. Psychopharmacology Berl 1990; 102: 191–200

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Petit D, Montplaisir J, Lorrain D, et al. THA does not affect sleep or EEG spectral power in Alzheimer’s disease. Biol Psychiatry 1993; 33: 753–4

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Riemann D, Gann H, Dressing H, et al. Influence of the cholinesterase inhibitor galanthamine hydrobromide on normal sleep. Psychiatry Res 1994 Mar; 51: 253–67

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Holl G, Straschill M, Thomsen T, et al. Effect of the cholinesterase inhibiting substance galanthamine on human EEG and visual evoked potentials. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1992 Jun; 82: 445–52

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Westra P, van-Thiel MJS, Vermeer GA, et al. Pharmacokinetics of galanthamine (a long-acting anticholinesterase drug) in anaesthetized patients. Br J Anaesth 1986 Nov; 58: 1303–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Mihailova D, Yamboliev I, Zhivkova Z, et al. Pharmacokinetics of galanthamine hydrobromide after single subeutaneous and oral dosage in humans. Pharmacology 1989; 39: 50–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Wagstaff AJ, McTavish D. Tacrine: a review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic efficacy in Alzheimer’s disease. Drugs Aging 1994 Jun; 4(6): 510–40

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Dal-Bianco P, Maly J, Wöber C, et al. Galanthamine treatment in Alzheimer’s disease. J Neural Transm Suppl 1991; 33: 59–63

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Rainer M, Mark T, Haushofer A. Galanthamine hydrobromide in the treatment of senile dementia of Alzheimer’s type. In: Kewitz, Thomsen, Bickel, editors. Pharmacological interventions on central cholinergic mechanisms in senile dementia (Alzheimer’s disease). Munich: Zuckschwerdt Verlag, 1989: 233–7

    Google Scholar 

  21. Rainer M, Mucke H, Janoch P, et al. Galanthamine treatment in Alzheimer’s disease: the identification of responders [abstract no. P-174-12]. Neuropsychopharmacology 1994 May; 10 Suppl. Part 2: 215

    Google Scholar 

  22. Kewitz H, Berzewski H, Rainer M, et al. Galanthamine, a selective nontoxic acetyleholinesterase inhibitor is significantly superior over placebo in the treatment of SDAT [abstract no. P-58-147]. Neuropsychopharmacology 1994 May; 10 Suppl. Part 2: 130

    Google Scholar 

  23. Kewitz H, Davis B. Preclinical and clinical studies on galanthamine (G) for Alzheimer’s disease treatment [abstract]. In: 3rd International Springfield Symposium on Advances in Alzheimer Therapy. 1994: 39

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Adis International Limited, 41 Centonan Drive, Private Bag 65901, Mairangi Bay, Auckland 10, New Zealand

    Bret Fulton & Paul Benfield

Authors
  1. Bret Fulton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paul Benfield
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fulton, B., Benfield, P. Galanthamine. Drugs & Aging 9, 60–65 (1996). https://doi.org/10.2165/00002512-199609010-00006

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00002512-199609010-00006

Keywords

Search

Navigation