memantine + donepezil (Lundbeck)

A combination therapy consisting of memantine (administered via the Ebixa oral pump) and donepezil. Memantine is a low-to-moderate affinity, non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist that binds preferentially to NMDA receptor-operated cation channels, effectively blocking the effects of pathologically elevated tonic levels of glutamate that may lead to neuronal dysfunction. Donepezil is a piperidine-based, reversible inhibitor of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which breaks down acetylcholine in the brain; by inhibiting this enzyme, donepezil increases the availability of acetylcholine at the synapses, potentially improving cholinergic neurotransmission. This specific combination and formulation (Ebixa oral pump as an add-on to donepezil) was evaluated in the ROMEO-AD trial (NCT02354183) conducted by Konkuk University Medical Center to assess its impact on language capability in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.

Brand names

EbixaAricept

Other names

memantine hydrochloridedonepezil hydrochloride