Namenda

This page contains recent news articles, when available, and an overview of Namenda but does not offer medical advice. You should contact your physician with regard to any health issues or concerns.


Overview:

Namenda
(when available)

Pharmacology and use:
Memantine is an orally active NMDA receptor antagonist indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type. Persistent activation of central nervous system N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors by the excitatory amino acid glutamate has been hypothesized to contribute to the symptomatology of Alzheimer's disease. Memantine is postulated to exert its therapeutic effect through its action as a low to moderate affinity uncompetitive (open-channel) NMDA receptor antagonist which binds preferentially to the NMDA receptor-operated cation channels. There is no evidence that Memantine prevents or slows neurodegeneration in patients with Alzheimer's disease. For the treatment of moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type.

Mechanism Of Action:
Memantine exerts its action through uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonism, binding preferentially to the NMDA receptor-operated cation channels. Prolonged increased levels of glutamate in the brain of demented patients are sufficient to counter the voltage-dependent block of NMDA receptors by Mg2+ ions and allow continuous influx of Ca2+ ions into cells and ultimately neuronal degeneration. Studies suggest that memantine binds more effectively than Mg2+ ions at the NMDA receptor, and thereby effectively blocks this prolonged influx of Ca2+ ions through the NMDA channel whilst preserving the transient physiological activation of the channels by higher concentrations of synaptically released glutamate. Thus memantine protects against chronically elevated concentrations of glutamate.

News Articles on Memantine

Judie Rappaport: Medications used to slow progression of Alzheimer's  -  ‎Aug 8, 2009‎
Dear Judie: My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease two years ago and has been taking Aricept and Namenda. Vero Beach Press-Journal (subscription)

The Worldwide Alzheimer Disease Market Is Led By Sales Of Eisai ...  -  ‎Aug 10, 2009‎
Eisai/Pfizer's Aricept (donepezil) and Forest pharmaceutical's Namenda (memantine) are the market leaders in the United States. OfficialWire (press release)

Axona, a 'medical food,' is tried by an Alzheimer's patient ...  -  ‎Aug 11, 2009‎
Namenda is a different type of drug that works by regulating glutamate, another chemical messenger in the brain. It also temporarily delays the progression The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com

Medicaid patients face roadblock to getting Alzheimer's drug  -  ‎Jun 26, 2009‎
On July 1, the state will implement a drug list that gives preference to Namenda and Exelon, two other Alzheimer's disease medications. Salt Lake Tribune

Johnson & Johnson to Tap into huge Alzheimer's Market  -  ‎Jul 9, 2009‎
The current Alzheimer's therapies, Aricept, Razadyne, Namenda, and Exelon can only hope to slow the progression of the disease. Gerson Lehrman Group

Forest Labs: Concerned About Pipeline  -  ‎Jun 18, 2009‎
Longer-term, we remain concerned about the strength of the pipeline relative to the loss in sales that will come with the Lexapro and Namenda patent Seeking Alpha

International Conference On Alzheimer's Disease Begins With Focus ...  -  ‎Jul 12, 2009‎
Forest Laboratories Inc.s' (FRX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) Namenda, Sciele Pharma Inc.'s (SCRX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) Cognex, Trading Markets (press release)

Forest Labs: Positive Top-Line Data on Ceftaroline  -  ‎Jun 29, 2009‎
With key products Lexapro and Namenda losing marketing exclusivity in 2012 and 2015, respectively, Forest's pipeline needs to deliver. Seeking Alpha

J&J to Take 18.4% Stake in Elan  -  ‎Jul 2, 2009‎
Among the treatments now on sale are Aricept, from Eisai Inc. and Pfizer Inc.; Namenda, from H. Lundbeck AS and Forest Laboratories Inc.; and J&J's Razadyne Wall Street Journal

Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Apple, Integrated Device Technology ...  -  ‎Jun 18, 2009‎
Longer-term, we remain concerned about the strength of the pipeline relative to the loss in sales that will come with the Lexapro and Namenda patent Earthtimes (press release)

알츠하ì?´ë¨¸ 시장 2대 ìƒ?물제제 견ì?¸  -  ‎Jun 21, 2009‎
...메드코ì—? 따르면 작년 미국ì—?서는 대표ì ? AChEIì?¸ '아리셉트'(Aricept, donepezil)와 '나멘다'(Namenda, memantine)ì?˜ 병용 ì¦?가로 알츠하ì?´ë¨¸ 치료제 사용ì?´ 6% 디지틀보사

Health Notes, Martin County: updated April 20  -  20 Apr 2009
Florida Atlantic University is conducting a study to determine if Namenda, an FDA-approved medication, can help preserve the driving abilities of patients TCPalm

4 Promising Autism Treatments, From Vitamin B12 to Alzheimer’s ...  -  ‎Apr 2, 2009‎
And researchers are starting to rigorously test other potential treatments, including methyl vitamin B12 and an Alzheimer’s drug known as Namenda. U.S. News & World Report

Neurological Care of CNY is a test site for new Alzheimer drug  -  ‎Apr 10, 2009‎
And, also the latest drug on the market, Namenda, is more for protection of the brain cells caused by calcium that grows inside the cells. CNYLink from Eagle Newspapers

FAU starts Alzheimer's drug study to help drivers  -  ‎Apr 6, 2009‎
Through this research study, Holland hopes to find evidence that the drug Namenda can help preserve driving skills in patients with mild symptoms of Sun-Sentinel.com

Addressing Autism  -  ‎Apr 6, 2009‎
...who care will try anything if there is even a glimmer of hope [4 Promising Autism Treatments, From Vitamin B12 to Alzheimer's Drug Namenda, usnews.com]. U.S. News & World Report

Senior Subjects: Dementia can have many names  -  ‎Apr 15, 2009‎
The FDA has approved four drugs: Namenda, Razadyne, Exelon and Aricept. The latest word from the FDA is that these “have only modest effects on clinical Lincoln Journal

A Big Upgrade for Forest Labs  -  ‎Apr 16, 2009‎
SNY) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), Forest faces patent expirations on Lexapro and Namenda in a few years, which could bring generic competition. The Money Times

A Big Upgrade for Forest Labs  -  ‎Apr 15, 2009‎
Like sanofi-aventis (NYSE: SNY) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), Forest faces patent expirations on Lexapro and Namenda in a few years, Motley Fool

Health Buzz: GE, Intel Plan Home-Health Venture and Other Health News  -  ‎Apr 3, 2009‎
Explore 4 promising autism treatments, from vitamin B12 to the Alzheimer's disease medication Namenda. Innovative programs are now offering young people U.S. News & World Report

What's on Lilly's Prescription Pad?  -  ‎Mar 31, 2009‎
...cap $6.6 billion) generated a majority of its $3.8 billion in 2008 revenue from the antidepressant Lexapro and the Alzheimer's disease drug Namenda. TheStreet.com

Health Notes, Martin County: updated March 30  -  ‎Mar 30, 2009‎
Florida Atlantic University is conducting a study to determine if Namenda, an FDA-approved medication, can help preserve the driving abilities of patients TCPalm

Forest Under Fire  -  ‎Apr 8, 2009‎
1997 to the present related to the marketing and promotion of Celexa and Lexapro as well as Namenda (memantine) and Combunox (oxycodone and ibuprofen). Psychiatric Times

Toning Down a Treatment  -  ‎Apr 3, 2009‎
...and Forest Labs' (NYSE: FRX) Namenda don't work too well. Even reduced effectiveness with the lower dose might be enough to get the drug approved. Motley Fool

Armed Against Alzheimer's: Controversial treatment  -  18 Mar 2009
The other class of drugs for AD are glutamate inhibitors like Namenda, which are prescribed to treat moderate to severe AD. Because the two types of drugs KRCG

Koncept Analytics: New medical reports published at market ...  -  18 Mar 2009
Eisai/Pfizer’s Aricept (donepezil) and Forest pharmaceutical’s Namenda (memantine) are the market leaders in the United States. openPR (press release)

Forest's drug for Alzheimer's gets patent extension  -  ‎Mar 10, 2009‎
N) said the patent term for its Alzheimer's treatment, Namenda, has been extended by the US Patent and Trademark Office and the patent will now expire on Reuters

Court stops Teva's launch of Evista copycat; Forest wins patent ...  -  ‎Mar 10, 2009‎
Report > The US patent office granted a five-year extension for the Merz Pharma patent covering Forest Laboratories' Alzheimer's remedy Namenda, FiercePharma

USPTO Issues Notice of Final Determination for Patent Term ...  -  ‎Mar 10, 2009‎
After review of the regulatory timeline for approval of NAMENDA(R) the US Patent and Trademark Office determined that the '703 Patent is entitled to the FOXBusiness

Initiating Forest Laboratories at Neutral - Credit Suisse comments  -  ‎Feb 25, 2009‎
Analyst Hirsch said that Forest is highly dependent on Namenda and Lexapro, which make up roughly 90% of his 2009 revenue estimate. RTT News

Jacqueline Marcell: Know warning signs of Alzheimer's  -  ‎Mar 5, 2009‎
...(Ask a dementia specialist about Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne and Namenda.) After the neurologist treated the dementia and the depression (often present with El Paso Times

BRIEF-Forest Laboratories gets extended patent term for Namenda  -  ‎Mar 10, 2009‎
Interactive Investor Trading Limited, trading as "Interactive Investor", is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Interactive Investor

Forest Labs Accused by US of Paying Drug Kickbacks  -  ‎Feb 25, 2009‎
Along with the Alzheimer’s drug Namenda, Lexapro accounts for 80 percent of Forest’s revenue. The Supreme Court on Feb. 23 rejected a bid by Forest to stop Bloomberg

Added Evidence Alzheimer’s Could be Type 3 ‘Diabetes of the Brain ...  -  ‎Feb 26, 2009‎
The Alzheimer’s drug Namenda has been shown to partially protect neurons against the effects of ADDLs. “The discovery that anti-diabetic drugs shield ProHealth

Forest Labs: prolongement de la licence sur le Namenda.  -  ‎Mar 10, 2009‎
...(CercleFinance.com) - Le groupe pharmaceutique américain Forest Laboratories a annoncé que la licence sur le Namenda, un traitement destiné à la lutte BFM radio

US-Patent von Kassenschlager des Pharmakonzerns Merz verlängert  -  ‎Mar 10, 2009‎
N: Kurs) bleiben möglicherweise länger von hartem Wettbewerb für ihren Kassenschlager Namenda in den USA verschont. Das US-Patentamt habe die Patentlaufzeit Reuters Deutschland

Ebixa, un farmaco per il trattamento dell’Alzheimer, può causare ...  -  ‎Mar 6, 2009‎
Venerdì 6 Marzo 2009 - L’analisi del French Pharmacovigilance Database ha evidenziato 36 eventi avversi cardiaci con la Memantina ( Ebixa, Namenda ), tra il XagenaSalute

Koncept Analytics: Studien aus dem Bereich Medizin erschienen  -  ‎Mar 16, 2009‎
Eisai/Pfizers Aricept und Forest Pharmaceuticals Namenda sind die Marktführer in den USA. Die erhöhte Alterserwartung ist der Hauptgrund für die wachsende PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)

Insulin May Protect Brain Against Alzheimer's  -  04 Feb 2009
Studies have shown that the Alzheimer's drug Namenda partly protects neurons against damage from ADDL proteins. "The discovery that anti-diabetic drugs Medical News Today,

ИнÑ?улин – новое лекарÑ?тво от болезни Ð?льцгеймера?  -  04 Feb 2009
Ð?едавно Ñ?озданный препарат Namenda, как показали клиничеÑ?кие иÑ?пытаниÑ?, может чаÑ?тично защитить нейроны от разрушениÑ?. Однако более Ñ?ффективного метода КоммерчеÑ?каÑ? биотехнологиÑ?,

Forest Labs results beat views, shares rise  -  Jan 20, 2009
Sales of Alzheimer's disease treatment Namenda rose 10 percent to $240.9 million. Forest expects fiscal year earnings per share in the range of $3.35 to Reuters

Forest Labs Faces Patent Expirations (FRX)  -  Jan 23, 2009
Namenda accounted for another 26% of sales, demonstrating the extent of the top-line hole Forest will have to dig itself out of in just a few short years. Investopedia,

A Shot of Controversy: Bogus or Breakthrough? -- Research Summary  -  Feb 2, 2009
The other class of drugs for AD are glutamate inhibitors like Namenda, which are prescribed to treat moderate to severe AD. Because the two types of drugs Ivanhoe,

Another Angle for Fibromyalgia  -  Jan 27, 2009
31, Forest Labs reported that antidepressant Lexapro accounted for 59% of its $998 million in revenue and Alzheimer's drug Namenda brought in 24%. Motley Fool

Forest shares fall on pipeline concerns  -  Jan 22, 2009
Key drivers for the company are the depression and anxiety drug Lexapro and Alzheimer's disease treatment Namenda. But, Lexapro sales growth is slowing down MSNBC

Antipsychotics Linked to Increased Risk of Death for Alzheimer’s ...  -  Jan 13, 2009
...use safer treatments to manage Alzheimer’s dementia, such as psychological management, Namenda (memantine) or antidepresants like Celexa (citalopram). AboutLawsuits.com

Diagnosis for hope  -  Jan 14, 2009
Soon after being diagnosed, Cyrus started taking Aricept and later added Namenda, which seems to help, said her husband. But the disease's impact can be Indianapolis Star,

Today's 3 Stock Picks: STT, RBS, FRX  -  Jan 20, 2009
Thomas Weisel Partners analyst Donald Ellis wrote last week that the FDA approval was a significant step to replace revenues from Lexapro and Namenda, Smartmoney.com

Operativer Gewinn von Forest Laboratories übertrifft Erwartungen  -  Jan 20, 2009
Dabei erzielte das von der Frankfurter Merz-Gruppe entwickelte Alzheimermittel Namenda, das Forest in den USA vertreibt, ein kräftiges Umsatzplus von zehn Reuters Deutschland,

What Medications Are Available To Treat Alzheimer's?  -  Dec 2, 2008
A drug of a different class, Namenda, works on a different chemical messenger, glutamate, which is produced in excessive amounts in Alzheimer’s patients, Boston Channel.com,

Alzheimer's drug treatments flourish – then flounder  -  Dec 6, 2008
There are currently four drugs approved by the FDA: Aricept, Razadyne, Exelon, and Namenda. The first three are known as cholinesterase inhibitors. Examiner.com

Health Notes, Martin County: updated Dec 22  -  Dec 23, 2008
Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Biomedical Science's Clinical Research Group is conducting a study to determine if Namenda, TCPalm,

Forest gains rights to Pierre Fabre anti-depressant  -  Dec 22, 2008
...to market to make up for when Lexapro and its second-biggest product, the Alzheimer's treatment Namenda, lose patent protection in the next few years. Reuters

Gurus Buy Banks And Big Macs  -  Dec 8, 2008
...with patent protection on its two principal products, antidepressant Lexapro and Alzheimer's treatment Namenda, expiring in 2012 and 2013. Forbes,

S&P Picks and Pans: BofA, Forest Labs, American Express  -  Dec 23, 2008
We believe these and other new drugs should help offset patent expiration losses on Lexapro and Namenda in 2012. We raise our target price by $2 to $30, BusinessWeek

Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Symptoms—Does Light Therapy Help?  -  Nov 28, 2008
These medications include Aricept (denepezil) and Namenda (memantine). However, many physicians believe that some of these symptoms may be related to PakTribune.com,

Frank talk from friends pinpointed her symptoms  -  Nov 17, 2008
Although she began taking the medications Aricept and Namenda last year to boost cognitive function, Franklin says her problems with short-term memory -- as Los Angeles Times,

Experimental pill shows promise fighting Alzheimer's  -  Nov 16, 2008
They're also testing Dimebon in combination with Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne and Namenda — the four Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs now used to Houston Chronicle,

It's not the economy, stupid  -  Nov 19, 2008
...vendor of patented drugs like Lexapro for depression (more than half of sales and growing), Namenda for Alzheimer's and Benicar for hypertension. Interactive Investor,

Alzheimer's cases rise dramatically  -  Nov 20, 2008
...but researchers at The National Library of Medicine and The National Institutes of Health suggests that patients be "treated with Memantine (Namenda), Famuan,

Disease and Therapy Review of Senile Dementia  -  Nov 13, 2008
Dosing information and treatment costs are provided for Aricept, Namenda, Razadyne, and Exelon. General sales information is also included for these four MarketWatch

Forest Laboratories, Inc - SWOT Analysis - www.companiesandmarkets ...  -  Nov 20, 2008
The increase was primarily due to the strong sales of Lexapro and Namenda. The operating profit of the company´s was $1210.4 million during fiscal year 2008 Live-PR.com (Pressemitteilung),

Forest Laboratories, Inc - SWOT Analysis - www.companiesandmarkets ...  -  Nov 19, 2008
The increase was mainly due to the strong sales of Lexapro and Namenda. The operating profit of the company was $708.8 million during fiscal year 2007, Live-PR.com (Pressemitteilung),

New Alzheimer's pill creating a stir  -  Nov 2, 2008
Doody ticks off the best known and most commonly prescribed by their brand names — Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne and Namenda. "Almost everybody in our center Houston Chronicle,

Treatment Of Alzheimer's Can Delay Progression Of Disease  -  Nov 5, 2008
The Cholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept, Exelon, and Razadyne and then there's Namenda, an N-methyl D-aspartate antagonist for treatment of moderate to Today's THV,

Alzheimer’s Drug to Treat Binge Eating Disorder  -  Nov 10, 2008
Memantine (Namenda) is approved to treat Alzheimer’s disease, but may also be effective in treating binge eating disorder. A new study published in the GNIF Brain Blogger,

Merz Pharmaceuticals’ Tinnitus Candidate Enters into Phase III  -  Nov 12, 2008
...for moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease, which it co-markets together with Forest and Lundbeck under the brands of Namenda, Ebixa and Axura. PharmaLive.com (press release),

Brand Names/Synonyms:
Namenda is also known by the following brand names and/or synonymsCHEMBANK733; D 145; D-145; DMAA; DRG 0267; DRG-0267; Ebixa; M183; M9292; MEMANTINE HYDROCHLORIDE; Memantina; Memantina [Inn-Spanish]; Memantine; Memantine Hydrochloride; Memantine [Inn]; Memantinum [Inn-Latin]; Namenda

Drug Category:
Namenda is categorized under the following by the FDA: Dopamine Agents; Antiparkinson Agents; Antidyskinetics; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; Central Nervous System Agents; ATC:N06DX01

Dosage Forms:
TABLET

Absorption:
Well absorbed orally, peak plasma concentrations are reached in 3-7 hours

Interactions:
-->Interactions for Memantine:

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists: The combined use of NAMENDA with other NMDA antagonists (amantadine, ketamine, and dextromethorphan) has not been systematically evaluated and such use should be approached with caution.

Effects of NAMENDA on substrates of microsomal enzymes: In vitro studies conducted with marker substrates of CYP450 enzymes (CYP1A2, -2A6, -2C9, -2D6, -2E1, -3A4) showed minimal inhibition of these enzymes by memantine. In addition, in vitro studies indicate that at concentrations exceeding those associated with efficacy, memantine does not induce the cytochrome P450 isozymes CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4/5. No pharmacokinetic interactions with drugs metabolized by these enzymes are expected.

Effects of inhibitors and/or substrates of microsomal enzymes on NAMENDA: Memantine is predominantly renally eliminated, and drugs that are substrates and/or inhibitors of the CYP450 system are not expected to alter the metabolism of memantine.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors: Coadministration of NAMENDA with the AChE inhibitor donepezil HCl did not affect the pharmacokinetics of either compound. In a 24-week controlled clinical study in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimerís disease, the adverse event profile observed with a combination of memantine and donepezil was similar to that of donepezil alone.

Drugs eliminated via renal mechanisms: Because memantine is eliminated in part by tubular secretion, coadministration of drugs that use the same renal cationic system, including hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), triamterene (TA), metformin, cimetidine, ranitidine, quinidine, and nicotine, could potentially result in altered plasma levels of both agents. However, coadministration of NAMENDA and HCTZ/TA did not affect the bioavailability of either memantine or TA, and the bioavailability of HCTZ decreased by 20%. In addition, coadministration of memantine with the antihyperglycemic drug GlucovanceÒ (glyburide and metformin HCl) did not affect the pharmacokinetics of memantine, metformin and glyburide. Furthermore, memantine did not modify the serum glucose lowering effect of GlucovanceÒ.

Drugs that make the urine alkaline: The clearance of memantine was reduced by about 80% under alkaline urine conditions at pH 8. Therefore, alterations of urine pH towards the alkaline condition may lead to an accumulation of the drug with a possible increase in adverse effects. Urine pH is altered by diet, drugs (e.g. carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, sodium bicarbonate) and clinical state of the patient (e.g. renal tubular acidosis or severe infections of the urinary tract). Hence, memantine should be used with caution under these conditions.





Chemical IUPAC Name:
3,5-dimethyladamantan-1-amine

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