The persistent myeloid leukemia drug nilotinib (Tasigna) enhanced biomarkers and cognitive results in individuals with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), a little stage II trial revealed.
In a researchstudy of 43 DLB clients, nilotinib enhanced cognition ratings by 2.8 points versus placebo (P=0.037) on the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale 14 (ADAS-Cog14) at 3 months, reported Raymond Scott Turner, MD, PhD, of Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C.
Cognition, determined by Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) part I ratings, enhanced by 0.9 points (P=0.044) with nilotinib versus placebo, Turner stated in a late-breaking discussion at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease yearly conference in Madrid.
Scores on the ADAS-Cog14 variety from 0 to 90 points; ratings on the MDS-UPDRS part I variety from 0 to 52 points.
No results were seen in MDS-UPDRS motor ratings. Other cognitive results, consistingof Montreal Cognitive Assessment ratings, trended positively however were not statistically considerable. Psychiatric functions, irritation, and cognitive variations were evenworse with placebo compared with nilotinib, Turner keptinmind.
Nilotinib likewise substantially increased brain dopamine (P=0.004) and substantially lowered the ratio of p-tau181 to amyloid-beta 42 in cerebrospinal fluid (P=0.034).
“We’re looking at rearranging or repurposing tyrosine kinase inhibitors for neurodegenerative illness, consistingof Lewy body dementia,” Turner stated. “Due to its promo of autophagy and maybe other prospective targets, nilotinib might be helpful in neurodegenerative illness.”
DLB gradually leads to cognitive problems and decreased independent function, observed Akanni Clarke, PhD, of the neuroscience department at the National Institute on Aging.
“It is seriously essential that we assess prospect interventions that program guarantee to target and ameliorate this ravaging illness,” Clarke informed MedPage Today. “As a repurposed drug prospect constructed on strong pre