Could a pill slow a rare dementia? early trial begins

NCT ID NCT05184569

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Peter Ljubenkov, MD Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 07, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This early-stage trial tests an oral drug called verdiperstat in 64 people with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), a rare dementia that affects language. The study is double-blind and placebo-controlled, meaning some participants get the drug and some get a placebo. The main goal is to check safety and tolerability over 24 weeks, with a secondary look at how the drug behaves in the body and whether it shows any hint of working.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Verdiperstat (BHV-3241) oral extended-release tablet
What this could lead to: If successful, this could point toward a treatment that slows or manages semantic variant primary progressive aphasia, a rare form of dementia.
What could go wrong: This is a very early Phase 1 trial with only 64 people, focused mainly on safety. It may not show any benefit, and the drug could have side effects or fail in later studies.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

frontotemporal dementia semantic dementia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

SEMANTIC DEMENTIA

Contacts and locations

Locations

Houston Methodist Hospital - Nantz National Alzheimer Center

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
Mayo Clinic

Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States
Northwestern University

Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
UCSF Memory and Aging Center

San Francisco, California, 94158, United States
University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

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