ZUNVEYL is the first oral FDA-approved treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in the past decade
32 person sales team hired to cover the $2 billion Long-Term-Care market
All launch activities delivered on-time and on-budget, positioning ZUNVEYL for success
VANCOUVER, British Columbia & DALLAS, March 18, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alpha Cognition Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOG), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to advancing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the official commercial launch of ZUNVEYL, a new treatment for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. This milestone marks a major step forward in the company’s mission to provide innovative and accessible solutions for patients and caregivers — and to deliver new hope to the millions impacted by Alzheimer’s.
With a highly experienced commercial team in place, including industry leaders with proven success in the long-term care market, Alpha Cognition is poised to make a powerful impact. The company’s nationwide salesforce is fully deployed and actively engaging with healthcare providers to ensure that ZUNVEYL reaches the patients who need it most. The commercial strategy is specifically designed to address the unique challenges of the long-term care market, the largest segment for Alzheimer’s disease, and a $2 billion market opportunity.
"The launch of ZUNVEYL is a game-changer in our fight against Alzheimer’s disease," said Lauren D’Angelo, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Commercial Officer of Alpha Cognition. "Our team has worked relentlessly to bring this treatment to market — from building out an industry-leading infrastructure to hiring a top notch sales team — all in record time. I’m incredibly proud of the dedication and expertise of our team, and we are excited to partner with healthcare professionals to ensure that patients receive the care they deserve."
Alpha Cognition’s commercial team includes top talent with deep expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and long-term care. The sales team has, on average, 16 years of industry sales experience and 10 years of experience selling in the long-term care market. This veteran team is focused on driving rapid adoption of ZUNVEYL and ensuring that patients have access to ZUNVEYL from day one.
ZUNVEYL is designed to provide a differentiated treatment option for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, offering an alternative for those who may have limited options. With the commercial launch now underway, Alpha Cognition is engaging with healthcare providers, payers, and caregivers to support patient access and education. Patients can now access ZUNVEYL in three doses (5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg) through a prescription that can be filled at pharmacies nationwide.
ZUNVEYL (benzgalantamine) is a twice-daily treatment designed to address the cognitive symptoms of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. By enhancing cholinergic function in the brain, ZUNVEYL supports memory, learning, and overall cognitive function, offering a meaningful improvement for patients and their caregivers.
About Alpha Cognition Inc.
Alpha Cognition Inc. is a commercial stage, biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing treatments for patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Cognitive Impairment with mild Traumatic Brain Injury ("mTBI"), for which there are currently no approved treatment options.
ZUNVEYL is a cholinesterase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of mild to moderate dementia of the Alzheimer’s type in adults.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
CONTRAINDICATIONS
ZUNVEYL is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to benzgalantamine, galantamine, or to any inactive ingredients in ZUNVEYL. Serious skin reactions have occurred.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
Serious Skin Reactions: Serious skin reactions (Stevens-Johnson syndrome and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis) have been reported in patients receiving galantamine (the active metabolite of ZUNVEYL tablets). If signs or symptoms suggest a serious skin reaction, use of this drug should not be resumed, and alternative therapy should be considered.
Anesthesia: See Drug Interactions Section
Cardiovascular Conditions: Cholinesterase inhibitors, including ZUNVEYL, have vagotonic effects on the sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodes, leading to bradycardia and AV block. Bradycardia and all types of heart block have been reported in patients taking cholinesterase inhibitors, both with and without known underlying cardiac conduction abnormalities. Therefore, all patients should be considered at risk for adverse effects on cardiac conduction.
Patients treated with galantamine up to 24 mg/day using the recommended dosing schedule showed a dose-related increase in risk of syncope.
Gastrointestinal Conditions: Cholinesterase inhibitors, including ZUNVEYL, may increase gastric acid secretion. Patients should be monitored closely for active or occult gastrointestinal bleeding, especially those with a history of ulcer disease or those receiving concurrent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Clinical studies of galantamine have shown no increase, relative to placebo, in the incidence of either peptic ulcer disease or gastrointestinal bleeding.
Galantamine has been shown to produce nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and weight loss. Monitor the patient's weight during therapy with ZUNVEYL.
Genitourinary Conditions: Although this was not observed in clinical trials with galantamine, cholinesterase inhibitors, including ZUNVEYL, may cause bladder outflow obstruction.
Neurological Conditions: Cholinesterase inhibitors are believed to have some potential to cause generalized convulsions. Seizure activity may also be a manifestation of Alzheimer's disease. Patients with Alzheimer's disease should be monitored closely for seizures while taking ZUNVEYL.
Pulmonary Conditions: Cholinesterase inhibitors, including ZUNVEYL, should be prescribed with care to patients with a history of severe asthma or obstructive pulmonary disease. Monitor for respiratory adverse reactions.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
The most common adverse reactions with galantamine tablets (≥5%) were nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, and decreased appetite.
DRUG INTERACTIONS
Use with Anticholinergics: Galantamine has the potential to interfere with the activity of anticholinergic medications.
Use with Cholinomimetics and Other Cholinesterase Inhibitors: A synergistic effect is expected when cholinesterase inhibitors are given concurrently with succinylcholine, other cholinesterase inhibitors, similar neuromuscular blocking agents or cholinergic agonists such as bethanechol.
USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS
Pregnancy: Based on animal data may cause fetal harm.
Hepatic Impairment: In patients with moderate hepatic impairment, a decrease in clearance of galantamine was observed; therefore, a dosage adjustment is recommended. Use of ZUNVEYL in patients with severe hepatic impairment is not recommended.
Renal Impairment: In patients with a creatinine clearance of 9 to 59 mL/min, an increase in exposure of galantamine was observed; therefore, a dosage adjustment is recommended. Use of ZUNVEYL in patients with creatinine clearance less than 9 mL/min is not recommended.
These are not all of the possible side effects of ZUNVEYL. You can report side effects to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/MedWatch or call 1‑800‑FDA‑1088. Please click here for Full Prescribing Information.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Except for statements of historical fact, any information contained in this news release may be a forward‐looking statement that reflects the Company’s current views about future events and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward‐looking statements by the words "may," "might," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "intend," "plan," "objective," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "project," "potential," "target," "seek," "contemplate," "continue" and "ongoing," or the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology intended to identify statements about the future. Forward‐looking statements may include statements regarding the, the long-term benefits of ZUNVEYL, the Company’s timing and planned activities and business strategy to launch ZUNVEYL, the potential timing for the availability of ZUNVEYL, the potential future developments of ZUNVEYL, the market size and demand for ZUNVEYL and the Company’s potential growth opportunities, capital requirements,. Although the Company believes to have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement, we caution you that these statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by us and our expectations of the future, about which we cannot be certain. The Company cannot assure that the actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, including risks regarding our ability to raise sufficient capital to implement our plans to commercialize ZUNVEYL, risks related to our focus on the long-term care market, risks regarding the efficacy and tolerability of ZUNVEYL, risks related to ongoing regulatory oversight on the safety of ZUNVEYL, risk related to market adoption of ZUNVEYL, risks related to the Company’s intellectual property in relation to ZUNVEYL, risks related to the commercial manufacturing, distribution, marketing and sale of ZUNVEYL, risks related to product liability and other risks as described in the Company’s filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com and the Company’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including those risk factors under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company’s Form S-1/A registration statement as filed with the SEC on January 10, 2025 and available at www.sec.gov. These forward‐looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward‐looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future, except as required by law.
