FAQ
What is Dimebon used for?
Dimebon was originally developed and used as an antihistamine drug in Russia. It is currently being tested for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
What are the side effects of Dimebon?
In recent clinical studies Dimebon was well tolerated. The most common side effect was dry mouth.
When is the drug Dimebon expected to be available to purchase in the United States?
Several pharmaceutical monitoring services forecast that United States residents will be able to buy the drug Dimebon in 2011.
Who sells Dimebon (dimebolin hydrochloride)?
Currently, Dimebon is not available for sale within the United States. Dimebon is moving into Phase III of clinical studies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s.
Are there other drugs with Dimebon (dimebolin hydrochloride) in it?
No, Dimebon is a unique drug originally developed and sold in Russia. There are no other drugs that contain the same active chemical ingredient.
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What is the chemical name of Dimebon?
The chemical name of Dimebon is 2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-2,8-dimethyl-5-(2-(6-methyl-3
pyridyl)ethyl)-1H-pyrido(4,3-b)indole
It is also chemically known as 3,6-dimethyl-9-(2-methyl-pyridyl-5)-ethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-?-carboline dihydrochloride
What is the active ingredient/generic name of Dimebon?
The active ingredient or generic name for Dimebon is dimebolin hydrochloride. Dimebon was known in Russia by the generic name dimebonum.
Is Dimebon (dimebolin hydrochloride) available in Russia?
No, unfortunately due to market pressures the original manufacturer of Dimebon in Russia has discontinued production of Dimebon at this time.
Where to buy Dimebon?
Dimebon is not currently available for sale from your local pharmacy within the United States. Our team is monitoring the availability of Dimebon on a daily basis and will notify all who sign up for our Dimebon Availability Notification Service as soon as Dimebon becomes available.
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What antihistamine is closest to Dimebon?
As Dimebon was developed in Russia it is not clear which antihistamines are the most chemically similar.
What is the drug with the chemical structure closest to Dimebon?
Unfortunately this is a very difficult question to provide a definitive answer to.
Is there a natural equivalent to Dimebon?
No, not that we are aware of at this time.
What is the availability of Dimebon?
Dimebon is not longer produced in Russia at this time and it is currently moving into Phase III clinical studies for Alzheimer’s within the U.S.
Get Notified When Dimebon Becomes Available
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What benefits for Alzheimer’s patients has Dimebon shown in clinical trials?
In recent clinical trials, patients treated with Dimebon experienced statistically significant improvements compared to placebo in all the key aspects of the disease: memory and thinking, activities of daily living, behavior and overall function.
One of the most commonly used measures to gauge the efficacy of an Alzheimer's disease drug is called the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive or ADAS-cog for short. During the studies, the mean ADAS-cog score of those who received Dimebon improved by approximately 2 points and the mean score of placebo-treated patients declined by more than 2 points after 26 weeks. This means that Dimebon showed a 4 point improvement in ADAS-cog score over placebo in that time frame. In a blinded, 26-week extension phase, the difference in the mean ADAS-cog score between patients who originally received Dimebon and those who originally received placebo increased further to 6.9.
Here is how Dimebon and some potential competition have performed in some of their pivotal studies in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease suffers.
| Drug | ADAS-cog score improvement over placebo (higher is better) | Sales data, last fiscal year |
| Dimebon | 4.0 mean improvement after 26 weeks | Still in development |
| Bapineuzumab | 2.3 average improvement after 78 weeks | Still in development |
| Aricept | Between 2.8 and 3.1 mean improvement after 24 weeks | $2.7 billion |
| Namenda | Between 1.5 and 2.0 mean improvement after 28 weeks | $830 million |
| Exelon | Between 0.2 and 4.9 mean improvement after 26 weeks | $630 million |
| Razadyne | Between 3.1 and 4.1 mean improvement after 26 weeks | $225 million |
What benefits for caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients has Dimebon shown in clinical trials?
Behavioral improvements in Dimebon-treated patients resulted in a significant decrease in caregiver distress at six months and at one year compared to the distress of caregivers of placebo-treated patients. Further, after six months, caregivers of Dimebon-treated patients saved approximately one hour per day assisting patients with activities of daily living compared to caregivers of placebo-treated patients.
What is ADAS-cog?
ADAS-cog is an acronym for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale. The Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive is a neuropsychological test which is sometimes used in the evaluation of Alzheimer's disease to learn more about the nature and level of a person's impairment. Neuropsychological tests enable a clinician to analyze a patient's cognitive status, as well as emotional, psychological, motor, and sensory functions. Testing provides a way to track and document the progression of the disease. The Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive is an 11-part test that takes 30 minutes to complete and is considered more thorough than the Mini-Mental State Exam or the Blessed Test. The ADAS-cog focuses on attention, language, orientation (knowing who you are, where you are, and what time it is), executive functioning (the ability to plan, make decisions, and carry out daily tasks), and memory skills. It is used as a primary outcome measure in many drug trials.
Where can I find more information about Dimebon clinical trials?
You can find more information about Dimebon clinical trials at www.clinicaltrials.gov