title: Memantine and donepezil: a fixed drug combination for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's dementia.
abstract: Donepezil (and other cholinesterase inhibitors [ChEIs]) and memantine are the mainstays of treatment in Alzheimer's dementia, addressing respectively, the cholinergic and glutamatergic dysregulation which underlies or results from its pathophysiology. To alleviate the pill burden and swallowing difficulties associated with the condition, a fixed drug combination of extended-release memantine and donepezil was developed. This combination was shown to be both bioequivalent to the components administered separately and could be administered sprinkled over soft food. The mode of action, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy and safety and tolerability of the combination are discussed together with the wider, often conflicting trial literature of combination versus monotherapy with memantine and ChEIs, their meta-analyses and treatment guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Freelance Medical Writer, Porthmadog, Gwynedd, North Wales, UK. scientific.prousjournals@thomsonreuters.com.
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Owen
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077265:Donepezil; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008559:Memantine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D010880:Piperidines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
chemical_list: D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil; D008559:Memantine
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Cholinesterase inhibitors; Donepezil; Memantine; Neurologic drugs