Anticholinesterase activity of a new carbamate, heptylphysostigmine, in view of its use in patients with Alzheimer-type dementia.

The anticholinesterase activity of a new carbamate, heptylphysostigmine, was studied in vitro. This compound is a competitive inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (or true cholinesterase) having Ki = (1 +/- 0.5) X 10(-7) M. The inhibition was instantaneous at the onset and did not diminish with prolonged incubation of the drug and enzyme.