Drug discovery and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

Progress in understanding the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has advanced rapidly and has achieved parity in knowledge with other chronic degenerative diseases of the elderly. This knowledge has not yet been successfully translated into new and effective disease-modifying drugs. Many new clinical candidates are currently in clinical trials, and it is likely that some will be successful in achieving regulatory approval. Nevertheless, primary prevention of AD remains the ultimate and most important goal of research efforts because the unique clinical features of this dementing disease create a number of challenges for drug development, regulatory approval, and payment. Ultimately, the development of truly effective disease-modifying drugs through accelerated drug discovery is the only real pathway to primary prevention.