In the absence of truly effective treatments, and in the presence of a rapidly growing, dementia-prone population of elders, it's perhaps no surprise that people are increasingly open to products claiming even the slightest hint of promise, however untested those claims may be. The FDA category of "Medical Food"—not really a food, not really a drug—has seen some growth recently, but many people do not know that the nation's drug agency does not check whether these products really work. Do they?
Series
Medical Foods for Alzheimer's: Palatable Therapy or Snake Oil?
Medical Foods—Fallback Option for Elusive AD Drug Status?
Two years ago, iffy results from a massive Phase 3 trial led a Canadian drug company to scrap development of its anti-amyloid therapy for Alzheimer disease. Today, seniors can purchase the very same compound, rebranded as a “science-based na...
Medical Foods—Food for Thought, But Think Twice
Updated on 23 October 2009. While the Alzheimer disease field awaits a bona fide drug that goes beyond temporary relief of symptoms to actually slow disease progression, patients and caregivers may be increasingly open to products claiming ...