Memantale [Memantine]

Memantine (also known as Namenda and Ebixa) is an Alzheimer’s drug, first synthesized in the 1960s by Eli Lilly and company (USA). It is approved in the United States and Europe for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Besides that, studies suggests that Memantine has a broad therapeutic utility and is effective in the treatment of other neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Huntington’s disease.

The drug works by blocking NMDA receptors, thus preventing excitotoxicity and overstimulation of nerve cells. Although overactivation NMDA receptors has been implicated in many neurodegenerative diseases, attempts to use NMDA antagonists as therapeutic agents often failed because of the side effects. These side effects occur because of the critical roles that NMDARs play in brain functions, including synaptic communication and memory formation. Memantine has been hypothesized to allow physiological activation of NMDARs while inhibiting pathological overactivation as a result of its mechanism of NMDAR inhibition.

Memantine is used recreationally to treat anxiety disorder, depression, reverse the tolerance to the drugs and to improve cognitive functions.