Summary
Indomethacin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias. No registered clinical trial in this database tests Indomethacin specifically in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study. The literature layer holds 5 publications for this pair: 3 Cochrane reviews and 2 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1993 to 2015. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias ranks 705 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Progressive and irreversible by definition; MMSE decline 1.07-3.4 points/year untreated; no spontaneous remission.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 39.0 (trials 0.0, literature 19.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 0 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 5 (3 Cochrane reviews, 2 clinical trial publications) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | Open Targets, ChEMBL |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ABCA1 |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
No registered trial links Indomethacin to Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias in the current OSMF trial extract.
Published literature
- Cochrane review Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of treatment effectMiguel-Álvarez M, Santos-Lozano A, Sanchis-Gomar F et al. · Drugs & aging · 2015 · PMID 25644018
- Cochrane review Aspirin, steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's diseaseJaturapatporn D, Isaac MG, McCleery J et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2012 · PMID 22336816
- Clinical trial publication No effect of one-year treatment with indomethacin on Alzheimer's disease progression: a randomized controlled trialde Jong D, Jansen R, Hoefnagels W et al. · PloS one · 2008 · PMID 18213383
- Cochrane review Indomethacin for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease patientsTabet N, Feldman H · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2002 · PMID 12076498
- Clinical trial publication Clinical trial of indomethacin in Alzheimer's diseaseRogers J, Kirby LC, Hempelman SR et al. · Neurology · 1993 · PMID 8351023
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target ABCA1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Indomethacin approved for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias?
Indomethacin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Indomethacin in clinical trials for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias?
No registered clinical trial in this database tests Indomethacin specifically in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study.
What does the evidence show for Indomethacin in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias?
Synthesis-level literature links Indomethacin to Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, but no registered trial in this database tests the pair, so the evidence is observational, pooled from other indications, or pre-dates registry practice. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target ABCA1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.