"Alzheimers disease can be heartbreaking to watch and frustrating to treat. Most medicines on the market do little more than delay the inevitable mental decline.  But a new drug called Dimebon appears to stop and perhaps even reverse the symptoms of the cruel and degenerative disease according to a new study published in the journal Lancet today.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the effect on cognitive function on memory on activities of daily living that not only were clearly significant but seemed to increase over time said Dr. Sam Gandy former chairman of the Alzheimers Association Medical and Scientific Advisory Council.  Dimebon wasnt designed to treat Alzheimers disease. Far from it. Its an antihistamine that was supposed to treat allergies.  But a study that tracked  mild to moderate Alzheimers patients for a year and found that at six months those taking Dimebon three times a day showed significant improvement in mental tests and cognitive functioning while those placed on the placebo kept deteriorating. A year into the study the Dimebon group was still improving while those without the drug were declining rapidly.  Whats most encouraging for researchers is that current Alzheimers drugs lose their effectiveness after three or six months. But Dimebon still worked after at least a year and seemed to be improving with time.  For those five million Americans living with Alzheimers disease memories tend to be lost first and then its victims lose the ability to care for themselves.  Currently there is no cure for Alzheimers so eventually they lose their lives. Those with Alzheimers in the moderate to severe stages often lose the ability to complete daily tasks such as dressing themselves walking and eating.  Karen Henes  of CrotononHudson N.Y. was diagnosed with Alzheimers just a year ago and already complains of some such symptoms.  I would like to just go see my grandchildren. I cant Henes said. Im not responsible enough just to drive. I cant always remember what to do. Its really sad.  Her husband Michael expressed equal frustration with the disease.  Life with Karen is so frustrating. It has already changed he said. She writes down all her appointments and she still doesnt remember them. On a daytoday basis its a struggle.  Dimebon has been shown to improve patient memory and skills and to help on small daily tasks like using the telephone shopping and remembering the grocery list.  Doctors havent yet figured out exactly how the drug works. Researchers think that the drug affects the mitochondria or the energy powerhouses of the brain cells.  There are two major classes of Alzheimers drugs and researchers think that Dimebon performs both functions.  Alzheimers patients families and doctors tend to be skeptical of new drugs because so many have fallen short over the years.  Dr. Gandy cautioned that the new study was small. Dimebon must go through more clinical tests. And even if theyre a success it will be at least two years before Dimebon is approved for treatment by the Federal Drug Administration.  This is promising but its not marketed anywhere in the world right now and it hasnt been approved in any country said Dr. Rachelle Doody the studys principal investigator and Effie Marie Cain chair in Alzheimers disease research at Baylor College of Medicine.  This is coming along she told ABC News. Its coming along pretty quickly relative to other agents but this drug and all the others are not cures for the disease.  Alzheimers patients like Henes are optimistic.  I cant wait. I am so excited about the possibility Henes said. If I can stay the way I am now until a drug that comes along I will be a lucky person.  To learn more about participating in the Phase III clinical trials of Dimebon visit this site http or call ...."