Alzheimer’s disease（AD） is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with concealed onset and development. The main morbidity group is the elderly. The clinical manifestations of AD are mainly the dysfunction of body functions such as behavior，memory and expression. AD can be easily ignored in the early stage，so as to miss the best treatment period.It has seriously affected the life and health of the elderly.With the aggravation of social aging，prevention and treatment of AD has become an important topic in global research.The current research shows that the pathogenesis of AD include abnormal precipitation of Aβ protein hyperphosphorylation of Tau protein and abnormalities of cholinergic system. In recent years，researchers all over the world have developed many drugs for treating AD through continuous exploration and research. Although the number of therapeutic drugs is increasing，the condition of AD is very complicated，and its pathogenesis cannot be determined. Most drugs are only used to relieve symptoms，and there are no drugs for truly complete treatment. This article reviews the pathogenesis of AD and the progress in drug therapy in recent years.