Masitinib for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Lay abstract In the 21st century, life expectancy has increased a lot in developed countries but so has the number of people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD causes a decline in brain function over time and is the main cause of death and disability in elderly people. Current treatments only improve the symptoms of the disease but do not cure or stop the disease getting worse. For this reason, new treatments are being developed including the drug masitinib which is in Phase III in clinical trials. Masitinib protects specific brain and nervous system cells from being damaged by the disease. Results from current research into masitinib suggest that it can improve cognitive processes in AD patients. This article summarizes results from masitinib clinical and preclinical studies.