Combination Drug Therapy for the Management of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases worldwide. It is the leading cause of dementia in both older and oldest old population. The standard treatment for AD dementia is based on two groups of drugs: cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine) and NMDA glutamate receptor modulator memantine. At moderate and severe stages of dementia, it is often necessary to use both a cholinergic inhibitor and memantine simultaneously. This review discusses current capabilities, efficacy and safety of combined therapy for Alzheimer's. It also covers details the features of using fixed combinations of donepezil and memantine in clinical practice.