COMMON DRUGS MAY HELP TO FIGHT DEMENTIA BETTER !

Everyday medicines like antibiotics, acne pills and other 

routine treatments that are already in bathroom cabinets 

could be used in the battle against dementia as developing 

new drugs is too costly and slow, experts have suggested. 


According to experts, it is time to re-examine medicines 

already in circulation as cheaper, quicker alternatives to new 

treatments. 


Many have multiple effects on the body, so some could be 

able to ease the effects of Alzheimer's and other forms of 

dementia. 


There are only four Alzheimer's drugs in use which can help 

relieve symptoms but do nothing to stop damage to the brain. 

Defeating dementia is one of the biggest challenges facing 

both medicine and society as a whole.


Developing new drugs is incredibly important but it comes 

with a huge price tag and, for those affected by dementia, an 

unimaginable wait. 


It can take up to 20 years and 600 million pounds to create a 

drug from scratch. Hopes of quickly adding to available 

treatments were recently dashed when several promising 

new ones failed the final stage of testing. 


So  experts turned to the possibility of using everyday drugs. 

They drew up a short-list, which includes liraglutide - a 

diabetes treatment that also acts on the brain. 

Others include minocycline, an antibiotic for acne, and 

acitretin, which treats the skin condition psoriasis. There is 

also a family of blood pressure drugs called calcium channel 

blockers. 


Some of these medicines cost less than 50p a tablet. 

The idea that drugs for other conditions could fight 

Alzheimer's is appealing, according yo researchers.


But it's not yet clear that such a drug exists. Alzheimer's is a 

complex disease with many risk factors.