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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am not an expert but here’s my armchair analysis based on the limited reading I have done. [b]Pharmaceutical companies know this is a huge area where they can make a ton of money so they have invested a lot of dollars in treatments. [/b]None have been stand out and many have been questioned. Because there are no treatments the FDA and because the drug companies need these drugs to go on the market to recoup their investment, FDA has been pressed and lobbied to approve things even with limited indications of efficacy. My understanding is the drugs available now may slow the progression but they will not improve your loved ones condition. Personally I am skeptical of these drugs. I think doctors believe they are unlikely to cause harm so why not try them.[/quote]
Pharmaceutical companies are also run by humans, many of whom have lost loved ones to Alzheimer's or dementia.  It's so horrible to watch.  Every new drug candidate is hope of a major advance.  It's devastating for researchers to spend decades of their life on a pathway or candidate only to have it be marginally effective.  So much work.  So much hope.

For many drugs, there are some people who respond really well to the drug and see a benefit.  (Just like for allergy meds, cancer meds, migraine meds, and ADHD meds--not everyone has the same response.).  So if there's benefit for a portion of patients, given the lack of better options, the meds are made available. You have to hope that your loved one responds well to the med and sees a benefit and isn't a non-responder.  It's not a giant scam--everyone would love to know why certain drugs work for some and not others, but that science is still not there yet. 
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