Raw research findings for this medication. Mostly single studies, not curated or confirmed robust.
Galantamine is a cholinesterase inhibitor, first extracted from snowdrop and daffodil bulbs: it slows the breakdown of the memory messenger acetylcholine and also boosts the response of nicotinic receptors to it. It is used to ease the symptoms of mild to moderate Alzheimer's dementia. It is sold as Razadyne and Reminyl, among other names.
Galantamine is broken down partly by the liver enzymes CYP2D6 and CYP3A4. People with no working CYP2D6 copies (poor metabolizers) clear it about a quarter more slowly, which the US FDA lists as an effect on drug levels; there is no CPIC or DPWG guideline. Studies have also looked at CHAT, the gene for the enzyme that makes acetylcholine, and at the nicotinic receptor gene CHRNA7 for how well galantamine works, with weaker evidence.
Clinical guidelines that name a gene for Galantamine. They sort people into groups by the gene copies they carry.
Every published finding on gene variants and Galantamine. Upload your DNA file to see which of these rows apply to you.
PharmGKB weighs all studies of a variant and rates how strong the evidence is, from 1A (strongest) to 4.
CHAT rs3793790: Level 3. Efficacy: Alzheimer Disease. 1.
CHAT rs2177370: Level 3. Efficacy: Alzheimer Disease. 1.
CHRNA7 rs6494223: Level 3. Efficacy: Alzheimer Disease. 1.
CYP2D6 CYP2D6*1, CYP2D6*1xN, CYP2D6*3, CYP2D6*4, CYP2D6*5, CYP2D6*6, CYP2D6*41: Level 3. Metabolism/PK: Dementia. 1.
Studies of how well it worked in people carrying a variant.
Study findings and evidence levels: PharmGKB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Guidelines: CPIC and DPWG, as bundled in PharmCAT. Most studies were done mainly in people of European ancestry.
More drugs from the same category
Aricept (Cholinesterase Inhibitors)
Exelon (Cholinesterase Inhibitors)
Not a prescribing recommendation. This page is educational information about pharmacogenomic research and clinical guidelines - it is not medical or dosing advice, and not a prediction of how any medication will work for you. Never start, stop, or change a medication or dose based on it; talk to your doctor or pharmacist, who can order clinical-grade testing if appropriate.
Content updated September 2026.
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