Cerebrolysin is a parenterally administered, porcine brain-derived
peptide preparation that has pharmacodynamic properties similar to those of endogenous
neurotrophic factors. In several randomized, double-blind trials of up to 28 weeks' duration in patients with
Alzheimer's disease,
Cerebrolysin was superior to placebo in improving global outcome measures and cognitive ability. A large, randomized comparison of
Cerebrolysin,
donepezil or combination
therapy showed beneficial effects on global measures and cognition for all three treatment groups compared with baseline. Although not as extensively studied in patients with
vascular dementia,
Cerebrolysin has also shown beneficial effects on global measures and cognition in this patient population.
Cerebrolysin was generally well tolerated in clinical trials, with
dizziness (or
vertigo) being the most frequently reported adverse event. Although further studies with
Cerebrolysin, including longer term trials and further exploration of its use in combination with
cholinesterase inhibitors, are needed to more clearly determine its place in the management of
Alzheimer's disease and
vascular dementia, available data suggest that
Cerebrolysin is a useful addition to the treatment options available for
dementia.