About Us
Alzeim Ltd. was established in April 2004 in order to help individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The company’s initial research focused on finding viable and sustainable forms of natural Galanthamine because of the demand for this active pharmaceutical ingredient as an Alzheimer's treatment.
Galanthamine has been approved in several countries for the symptomatic treatment of senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type. Although Galanthamine has been found to be effective in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, it is not readily available. Natural sources of Galanthamine, extracted from wildflowers, are limited and unreliable. Synthetic sources of Galanthamine are costly and difficult to make. Generic drug manufacturers are actively seeking to develop and market generic versions of Reminyl (Reminyl is the Galanthamine based Alzheimer’s treatment) but need sustainable supplies of Galanthamine. Alzeim has developed a method for producing natural Galanthamine that helps supply the needs of the market and is cost effective, scalable and reliable.
With an increase in the number of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease there will be an increase for the demand of Galanthamine. It is currently estimated that there are 35 million people living with dementia worldwide and that 4.6 million cases are diagnosed each year. The rate of dementia is expected to double between 2001 and 2040 in developed nations. It is forecast to increase by more than 300 per cent in India and China. (Source: Ferri et al 2005, Global Prevalence of Dementia). In the UK, it is estimated that the financial cost of dementia is over £20 billion a year. The increase in the number of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s, plus the cost to health care providers, strongly suggests that drugs that are used to treat the disease will be in very high demand. Healthcare providers in particular will be looking to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease through drug treatments as this approach could potentially save governments millions of dollars.
Currently the Alzheimer’s disease drug market is worth an estimated US$8 billion (IMS; Company Websites Business Insights Ltd).
Alzeim's work on the production of Galanthamine from daffodils grown in Wales was featured in the BBC's Countryfile program which was broadcast on Sunday 24th April 2011.
Click the play button on the video to watch the feature.