Tacrine as a Treatment for Alzheimer's Dementia

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Abstract
More than four years have elapsed since a report by Summers et al. in the Journal described dramatic improvements in patients with Alzheimer's disease treated with tacrine, an investigational acetylcholine esterase inhibitor. These findings led many to believe that a major breakthrough had been made in the treatment of Alzheimer's dementia. Unfortunately, an FDA investigation of the clinical research activities that are the basis of the published report, activities carried out under an investigational-new-drug application held by Dr. William Summers, has revealed deficiencies of sufficient importance to raise major questions about the validity of the conclusions presented in the Journal publication.