Lithium Orotate and Alzheimer’s: A New Ray of Hope?
- Leon Wirz
- Sep 15
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 2
Published in Nature on August 6, 2025
Introduction
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains one of the most devastating neurodegenerative conditions worldwide. Over 55 million people are affected – and the number is steadily rising as populations age. For decades, research has focused primarily on removing the protein deposits typical of Alzheimer’s – amyloid-β plaques and tau fibrils. Some antibody therapies have since been approved, but their benefits on slowing cognitive decline remain limited, and side effects such as brain swelling or bleeding restrict their use.
A new study from Harvard Medical School, published in Nature, now introduces an unexpected angle: Alzheimer’s may in part be caused by a deficiency of lithium in the brain – and targeted administration of lithium in a specific form could not only slow disease progression but even reverse it in animal models.
The Core Discovery
The research team led by Bruce Yankner discovered that amyloid plaques bind lithium ions, drastically reducing their availability for neurons, microglia (the brain’s immune cells), and oligodendrocytes (myelin-producing cells).
Lithium is mainly known in medicine as lithium carbonate, used in psychiatry – for example in bipolar disorder – for more than 50 years. However, this form does not cross the blood–brain barrier sufficiently in Alzheimer’s patients, since much of it gets “trapped” in plaques. Higher doses would help, but they are toxic to kidneys and thyroid in the long run.
The researchers therefore turned to lithium orotate – a chemical form that does not get sequestered by plaques and can deliver lithium directly to affected brain cells in low, well-tolerated doses.
How the Study Was Conducted
The experiments were carried out on mouse models of advanced Alzheimer’s disease, which already displayed pronounced amyloid plaques and severe memory deficits.
The approach included:
Administering lithium orotate in very low doses (far below psychiatric treatment levels).
Measuring lithium concentrations in the brain using advanced imaging techniques.
Behavioral and memory testing (maze navigation, object recognition).
Tissue analysis for plaque load, tau deposition, and cell health.
Key Findings
Memory restored – Treated mice performed at levels comparable to healthy controls in memory tests.
Plaque and tau reduction – Both amyloid and tau burdens were significantly lowered.
Cell function normalized – Neurons showed improved signaling, microglia shifted to an anti-inflammatory state, and oligodendrocytes resumed normal myelin production.
No detectable toxicity – At low doses, no kidney, liver, or thyroid damage was observed.
Limitations of the Study
As promising as the results are, it is essential to outline the study’s boundaries:
Animal data only – The study was conducted exclusively in mice. While Alzheimer’s mouse models provide key insights, they do not fully replicate the complexity of human disease. Many compounds that worked in mice have failed in human clinical trials.
Disease stage – It remains unclear whether lithium orotate would be effective only in early or also in late-stage Alzheimer’s. Mice models cannot fully mirror the decades-long disease course in humans.
Long-term safety – Lithium is a long-standing psychiatric drug with known side effects (e.g., kidney damage, thyroid dysfunction, weight gain). While lithium orotate was given at very low doses in this study, long-term human data are lacking. Elderly patients with comorbidities (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, heart failure) represent a particularly vulnerable group.
Dosing and pharmacokinetics – The optimal human dose is unknown. Open questions remain about how lithium orotate distributes in the body, whether it accumulates in bones, or whether it builds up in patients with kidney impairment.
No comparisons with existing therapies – It has not been studied whether lithium orotate acts synergistically or antagonistically with antibody-based drugs (e.g., lecanemab, donanemab).
Conclusion: The study provides important basic research, but a long road lies ahead before potential clinical application – including Phase 1 through Phase 3 trials.
Relevance for Switzerland
Switzerland faces a massive challenge with Alzheimer’s and dementia:
Prevalence: About 155,000 people live with dementia in Switzerland today (Alzheimer Schweiz, 2024). By 2050, this number is expected to exceed 300,000.
Costs: Total economic costs (care, hospitals, family caregiving, medications) are currently around CHF 11–12 billion per year, and rising. Roughly two-thirds are attributed to care and nursing costs.
Insurance & long-term care: With an average nursing home cost of CHF 6,500–9,000 per month (depending on canton), lifetime care over 8–10 years per patient exceeds CHF 100,000–150,000 – much of which is borne by insurers and social systems.
Potential Impacts of a Successful Therapy
Relieving the care system: Delaying disease progression by even 2–3 years could reduce the need for thousands of nursing home places and save billions annually.
Prevention over late-stage therapy: Lithium orotate would be far cheaper and easier to administer than antibody therapies, which cost CHF 25,000–30,000 per patient per year.
Swiss biotech & pharma hub: Switzerland could invest early in clinical trials and position itself as a center of European Alzheimer’s drug development. Companies like Roche or Novartis, already active in this field, would likely be interested.
Insurance mathematics: For Swiss health insurers, a safe, affordable drug would be a game changer – fewer long-term care cases, more predictable medication costs.
Risks
If lithium orotate fails in humans, significant R&D investments could be lost.
Premature approval could result in unforeseen side effects in multimorbid elderly patients, generating high follow-up costs.
Overall assessment:For Switzerland, this represents a major opportunity – both medically and economically. At the same time, it is crucial to await solid clinical evidence while preparing the healthcare and insurance system for potential adoption if successful.
What Comes Next
The logical next step is Phase 1 human trials to assess safety and dosing in older adults. These would be followed by larger, randomized studies measuring cognitive outcomes and quality of life.
It is still too early to speak of a “breakthrough” – but the findings illustrate how restoring something as small as a micronutrient can make a big difference in brain health.
Reference:
Yankner, B. et al. Amyloid plaques sequester lithium and disrupt brain cell function in Alzheimer’s disease; lithium orotate restores cognition in mouse models. Nature (2025). Link
Expatica News. Swiss Alzheimer cases will more than double by 2050. (2024). Link
Demenz Forschung Schweiz. Facts & figures on dementia in Switzerland. (2024). Link
Swiss Medical Weekly. Cost of dementia in Switzerland. (2010; updated figures cited widely). Link
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