Viagra and shingles vaccine show surprising promise against Alzheimer’s
An international Delphi panel reviewed 80 approved drugs and highlighted the shingles vaccine Zostavax, sildenafil (Viagra), and riluzole as top candidates for repurposing against Alzheimer's disease, citing animal data on tau reduction and observational evidence of lower dementia risk following vaccination. Researchers urged robust clinical trials, proposing a large UK study using the PROTECT registry to test Zostavax’s effect on dementia incidence. Five additional drugs were shortlisted but not prioritised.
Why it mattersZostavax showed lower dementia incidence in studies, so UK trialists should prioritise PROTECT registry RCTs.