What is Huperzine A?
Huperzine A, also referred to as HupA, is an alkaloid derived from Chinese club moss, Huperzia serrata (Thunb. ex Murray) Trev. This natural molecule was first identified by Chinese scientist Liu and his colleagues in the 1980s (Nat. Prod. Rep 2004;21:752-72). It was developed for commercialization by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and early recognition of HupA for its effect on dementia appeared in JAMA (JAMA 1997;227(10):776). Since HupA isolation and identification, an extensive track record of safety and efficacy has been established leading to HupA phase III human clinical trials in China and phase II clinical trials in the United States (U.S.) for the treatment of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Mayo Clinic and National Institute of Mental Health are the primary clinical investigators of HupA in the U.S., whereby the Mayo Clinic licenses the use of HupA through its distribution channel.
