Cancer drug shows promise for treating lewy body dementia
NCT ID NCT03888222
First seen Jul 10, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether bosutinib, a drug currently used for leukemia, can safely treat dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). The trial involves 30 adults aged 25–90 with DLB, who will take either bosutinib or a placebo daily for three months. Researchers will monitor side effects and measure changes in brain and spinal fluid proteins linked to the disease. The goal is to see if bosutinib can slow or modify the course of DLB, a condition with no approved treatments.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- bosutinib (a cancer drug that blocks certain proteins)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a new treatment for dementia with Lewy bodies, a condition with no approved therapies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial testing safety and biological effects, not yet proven to help symptoms or slow the disease. Bosutinib has known side effects including bone marrow suppression and liver issues.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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26 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Apr 2019
- Finished
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Aug 2021
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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25 to 90 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Written informed consent 2. Capable of providing informed consent and complying with study procedures. Subjects who are unable to provide consent may use a Legally Authorized Representative (LAR) 3. Age of 25-90 years, medically stable 4. Clinical diagnosis of DLB according to McKeith et al (7) with both dementia MoCA≥18 and Parkinsonian defined as bradykinesia in combination with rest tremor, rigidity or both UPDRS I-III ≤ 50 and UPDRS-III between 20-40. 5. Dementia and Parkinsonism must be present with at least one other symptom such as fluctuation, visual hallucinations or REM sleep behavioral disorder (RBD) 6. Abnormal DaTScan 7. Stable on Levodopa no more than 800mg daily, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, dopamine agonists for at least 6 weeks 8. Stable on monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MOA-B) for at least 4 weeks before enrollment 9. Stable concomitant medical and/or psychiatric illnesses in the judgement of the PI 10. QTc interval 350-480 ms, inclusive 11. Participants must be willing to undergo LP at baseline and 3 months after treatment. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Medical history of liver or pancreatic disease, GI ulcers and Chron's disease, kidney, GI, or blood problems 2. Abnormal liver function defined as AST and/or ALT \> 100% the upper limit of the normal 3. Renal insufficiency as defined by a serum creatinine \> 1.5 times the upper limit of normal or proteinuria 4. History of HIV, clinically significant chronic hepatitis, or other active infection 5. hypokalemia, hypomagnesaemia, or long QT syndrome- QTc≥480 ms or concomitant drugs known to prolong the QTc interval and history of any cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction or cardiac failure, angina, arrhythmia 6. History or presence of significant cardiac conditions including: cardiovascular or cerebrovascular event (e.g. myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or stroke), congestive heart failure, first, second- or third-degree atrioventricular block, sick sinus syndrome, or other serious cardiac rhythm disturbances, any history of Torsade de Pointes. 7. Treatment with any of the following drugs at the time of screening or the preceding 30 days, and/or planned use over the course of the trial: Treatment with Class IA or III antiarrhythmic drugs (e.g. quinidine), treatment with QT prolonging drugs (www.crediblemeds.org)- excluding SSRIs (e.g. Citalopram, Escitalopram, Paroxetine, Sertraline, Duloxetine, Trazodone, etc.), Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (including grapefruit juice). The concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin, atazanavir, indinavir, nefazodone, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, telithromycin, voriconazole) must be avoided. Should treatment with any of these agents be required, therapy with Bosutinib should be interrupted. Anticoagulants, including Coumadin (warfarin), heparin, enoxaparin, daltiparin, xeralto, etc. St. John's Wort and the concomitant use of strong other CYP3A4 inducers (e.g., dexamethasone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, phenobarbital) must be avoided since these agents may reduce the concentration of Bosutinib 8. Females must not be lactating, pregnant or with possible pregnancy 9. Clinical signs indicating syndromes other than DLB including, Alzheimer's Disease (AD) idiopathic PD, corticobasal degeneration, supranuclear gaze palsy, multiple system atrophy, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, signs of frontal dementia, history of stroke, head injury or encephalitis, cerebellar signs, early severe autonomic involvement, Babinski sign 10. Current evidence or history in past two years of epilepsy, focal brain lesion, head injury with loss of consciousness or DSM-IV criteria for any active major psychiatric disorder including psychosis, major depression, bipolar disorder, alcohol or substance abuse 11. Evidence of any significant clinical disorder or laboratory finding that renders the participant unsuitable for receiving an investigational drug including clinically significant or unstable hematologic, hepatic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, endocrine, metabolic, renal or other systemic disease or laboratory abnormality. 12. Active neoplastic disease, history of cancer five years prior to screening, including breast cancer (history of skin melanoma or stable prostate cancer are not exclusionary) 13. Contraindications to LP: prior lumbosacral spine surgery, severe degenerative joint disease or deformity of the spine, platelets \< 100,000, use of Coumadin/warfarin, or history of a bleeding disorder. 14. Must not be on any immunosuppressant medications 15. Must not be enrolled as an active participant in another clinical study.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20007, United States
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