Title:Obstacles and Opportunities for Cholinergic Drug Development in the Treatment of Cognitive Disorders
Volume: 22
Issue: 14
Author(s): Rachel A. Schroeder, Lynn Wecker and Rex M. Philpot
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Cognitive disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, cancer addiction.
Abstract: The frequency of neuropsychiatric disorders is greater than that of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and
diabetes combined, and is growing at a faster rate than any other ailments in the United States or Europe. Despite a
considerable need for the development of treatments for central nervous system disorders, pharmaceutical companies
continue to reduce investment in this area of research. Of particular concern is the treatment of diseases and
disorders that affect cognitive function, which are often given a lower priority for research investment than life
threatening conditions or those with overt physical symptoms. Several reasons exist for this reduced investment,
including a poor understanding of the mechanisms underlying impaired cognitive function, costly and long periods
of development for these medications, disproportionately lower success rates, and a stigma associated with the
medical treatment of mental illness. This paper will discuss these issues, review some of the successes resulting
from research investment and discuss opportunities that should encourage increased research investment in cognitive disorders and their
treatment.
