Galantamine (trade names: Nivalin , Razadyne , Razadyne ER , Reminyl ) is a drug used for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer?s disease and various memory impairments. It is an alkaloid that is obtained synthetically or from the bulbs and flowers of the Caucasian snowdrop (Voronov?s snowdrop), Galanthus woronowii (Amaryllidaceae) and related genera like Narcissus (daffodil), Leucojum (snowflake) and Lycoris including Lycoris radiata (Red Spider Lily). more

Galantamine (trade names: Nivalin , Razadyne , Razadyne ER , Reminyl ) is a drug used for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer?s disease and various memory impairments. It is an alkaloid that is obtained synthetically or from the bulbs and flowers of the Caucasian snowdrop (Voronov?s snowdrop), Galanthus woronowii (Amaryllidaceae) and related genera like Narcissus (daffodil), Leucojum (snowflake) and Lycoris including Lycoris radiata (Red Spider Lily). The active ingredient was isolated by prof. Paskov 1959 (Sopharma, Bulgaria) from a species tradionally used as a popular medicine in Eastern Europe and thus the idea for developing a medicine from these species seems to be based on the local use (ethnobotany driven drug discovery. [ 1 ] , [ 2 ] . It has been used for decades in Eastern Europe esp. in the symptomatic treatment of polio (poliomyelitis) and was later developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica into an Alzheimer medication. less