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Published Online, 24 February 2009, www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1L402.
 The Annals of Pharmacotherapy: Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 514-518. DOI 10.1345/aph.1L402
© 2009 Harvey Whitney Books Company.
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DRUG INFORMATION ROUNDS

Role of Huperzine A in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

Alicia R Desilets, PharmD

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences–Worcester/Manchester, MA

Jennifer J Gickas, PharmD

Pharmacist, Walgreens Pharmacy, Milford, NH

Kaelen C Dunican, PharmD

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences–Worcester/Manchester

Reprints: Dr. Desilets, 1260 Elm St., Manchester, NH 03101, fax 603/314-0209, Alicia.Desilets{at}mcphs.edu

OBJECTIVE: To review the role of huperzine A in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

DATA SOURCES: A literature search was conducted through MEDLINE (1950–September week 2, 2008), EMBASE (all years), Google Scholar, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and a bibliographic review of relevant articles. Key words included huperzine, huperin, Huperzia serrata, and Alzheimer's disease.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All clinical trials published in the English language that evaluated huperzine A in patients with AD were included in this review. Articles published in Chinese were included when English abstracts or electronic translation technology were available.

DATA SYNTHESIS: AD is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder for which there is no cure; available therapies only decrease cognitive decline. Huperzine A, an alkaloid derived from Chinese club moss (H. serrata), acts as a selective inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase and may also display neuroprotective properties. Preliminary data suggest that huperzine A may improve cognition; studies ranging from 8 to 12 weeks have found improvements in the Mini-Mental State Examination score of 1–5 points.

CONCLUSIONS: Although use of huperzine A has shown promising results in patients with AD, data supporting its use are limited by weak study design. Largescale, randomized, placebo-controlled trials are necessary to establish the role of huperzine A in the treatment of AD.

Key Words: Alzheimer's disease, huperin, Huperzia serrata, huperzine

Published Online, February 24, 2009. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1L402




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