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Impact of Nilotinib on Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics and Biomarkers in Dementia With Lewy Bodies

A Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Impact of Nilotinib Treatment on Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics and Biomarkers in Dementia With Lewy Bodies (DLB)

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04002674
Enrollment
43
Registered
2019-06-28
Start date
2019-07-01
Completion date
2025-04-30
Last updated
2026-06-12

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Dementia With Lewy Bodies

Brief summary

Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) is an alphasynucleinopathy and the second most common form of dementia in the elderly. DLB shares striking neuropathological and clinical similarities with both Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nilotinib (Tasigna®, AMN107, Novartis, Switzerland) is approved by the FDA and is well tolerated for CML treatment at oral doses of 600-800mg daily. The Investigators propose to perform a phase II randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled study to evaluate the impact of Nilotinib in patients with DLB.

Detailed description

A phase II randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled study will be performed to evaluate the impact of Nilotinib (Tasigna®, AMN107, Novartis, Switzerland) on safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and clinical outcomes in patients with Dementia with Lewy Bodies. Sixty ( 60) participants will be recruited and randomly assigned 1:1 to placebo (arm 1) or 200 mg Nilotinib (arm 2).This study will be conducted in DLB patients with 2.5≥Hoehn & Yahr≤3 and UPDRS I-III ≤50 and 15≥UPDRS III (motor) ≥40 (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Score)and MoCA≥18(Montreal Cognitive Assessment). Eligible participants must be stable on MAO-B inhibitors (Rasageline or Selegeline) for 4 weeks and must not be on ≥800mg Levodopa daily. Participants must be stable on acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and other medications for at least 6 weeks. Participants will be treated for 6 months and monitored every month ( 4 weeks) in a total of 9 visits that include screening , baseline, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 months follow up and 7 month washout. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) will be collected at baseline and at 6 months to determine Nilotinib effects on CSF biomarkers.

Interventions

DRUGPlacebo oral capsule

Thirty (30) patients in arm 1 will receive the matching placebo ("sugar pill") one (1) capsule orally (without food) once daily for 6 months (180 days).

DRUGNilotinib Oral Capsule

Thirty (30) patients in arm 2 will receive the 200 mg of Nilotinib one (1) capsule orally (without food) once daily for 6 months (180 days).

Sponsors

Georgetown University
Lead SponsorOTHER
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
CollaboratorNIH

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

Participants will be randomized by a Biostatistician by an internet based randomization module into two groups. The researchers include : Primary investigator , Sub-Investigators ,Clinical Coordinators, Nurse Practitioners , and Clinical Reseach unit staff.

Intervention model description

Investigators will evaluate the effects of 200 mg of Nilotinib versus matching Placebo taken daily by mouth for 6 Months, followed by 1 Month wash-out period in individuals with DLB. Sixty (60) participants will be recruited and randomly assigned 1:1 to placebo (arm 1) or 200 mg Nilotinib (arm 2). Participants will be treated for 6 months and monitored every month (4 weeks) in a total of 9 visits that include screening, baseline, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 months follow up and 7-month washout.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
25 Years to 90 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

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. 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 is less than 50 and/or UPDRS-III between 15 -40 on-state. Dementia and Parkinsonism must be present with at least one other symptom such as fluctuation, visual hallucinations or REM sleep behavioral disorder (RBD) 4. 2.5 ≥Hoehn and Yahr stage ≤3 5. MDS-UPDRS-III 15-40 on-state (or up to 70 on the off state) 6. Abnormal DaTScan 7. Stable concomitant medical and/or psychiatric illnesses in the judgement of the PI 8. Patients between the age of 25-90 years, medically stable 9. Must NOT be stable on mono-amine oxidase (MAO)-B inhibitors (Selegeline or rasagiline) for at least 4 weeks before enrollment and during Nilotinib treatment. 10. Must be medically stable on less than or equal to 800mg Levodopa daily for at least 4 weeks 11. QTc interval 350-460 ms, inclusive 12. Participants must be willing to undergo LP at baseline and 6 months after treatment

Exclusion criteria

1. Patients with hypokalemia, hypomagnesaemia, or long QT syndrome- QTc≥461 ms 2. Concomitant drugs known to prolong the QTc interval and history of any cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infraction or cardiac failure, angina, arrhythmia 3. History or presence of cardiac conditions including: 1. Cardiovascular or cerebrovascular event (e.g. myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or stroke) 2. Congestive heart failure 3. First, second- or third-degree atrioventricular block, sick sinus syndrome, or other serious cardiac rhythm disturbances 4. Any history of Torsade de Pointes 4. 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: 1. Treatment with Class IA or III antiarrhythmic drugs (e.g. quinidine) 2. Treatment with QT prolonging drugs (www.crediblemeds.org)- excluding Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) (e.g. Citalopram, Paxil, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Sertraline, etc...) 3. 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. Grapefruit products may also increase serum concentrations of Nilotinib. Should treatment with any of these agents be required, therapy with Nilotinib should be interrupted. 4. Anticoagulants, including Coumadin (warfarin), heparin, enoxaparin, daltiparin, xarelto, etc. 5. 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 Nilotinib. 5. Abnormal liver function defined as AST and/or ALT \> 100% the upper limit of the normal 6. Renal insufficiency as defined by a serum creatinine \> 1.5 times the upper limit of normal 7. History of HIV, clinically significant chronic hepatitis, or other active infection 8. Females must not be lactating, pregnant or with possible pregnancy 9. Medical history of liver or pancreatic disease 10. Clinical signs indicating syndromes other than DLB, including, PD, PD with Dementia (PDD), 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 11. 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 major psychiatric disorder including psychosis, major depression, bipolar disorder, alcohol or substance abuse 12. 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 13. 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) 14. 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 15. Must not be on any immunosuppressant medications or IVIG 16. Must not be enrolled as an active participant in another clinical study

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Safety and Tolerability: Occurrence of Adverse Events (AEs)6 MonthsThe Investigators will determine safety and tolerability using the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) of interest as per Nilotinib Investigator Brochure (IB).

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
DLB Related CSF Biomarkers6 MonthsPharmacodynamics: Determine the effects of Nilotinib on primary biomarkers
The Investigators Will Quantify Amyloid Burden Via Florbetaben PET ScanBaseline, 6 Months, and change between baseline and 6 monthsQuantification of Standardized Uptake Value Ratio (SUVR) of brain amyloid burden via Florbetaben (Neuraceq, is a diagnostic radiotracera) PET at baseline and 6 months (end of treatment (EOT)). Standardized Uptake Value Ratio (SUVR) is a unitless ratio that measures tracer uptake in a target brain region compared to a reference region. A lower SUVR is generally better in amyloid PET scans, as it indicates a lower density of amyloid plaques in the brain while a higher SUVR indicates a higher burden of amyloid plaque accumulation in the brain.

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORFernando L Pagan, MD

Georgetown University

Baseline characteristics

Characteristic
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
43 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
0 Participants
Age, Continuous73 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
4 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
34 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
7 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
29 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 220 / 21
other
Total, other adverse events
15 / 2211 / 21
serious
Total, serious adverse events
2 / 222 / 21

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jun 13, 2026