Oral small molecule shows promise in dementia with Lewy bodies

According to results from the exploratory phase 2 SHIMMER clinical trial, a small molecule oligomer antagonist improved outcomes in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies.

Manufacturer Cognition Therapeutics Inc. said in a press release that individuals diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and treated with the novel therapeutic CT1812 demonstrated improved behavioral, functional, cognitive and movement compared with enrollees given placebo.

SHIMMER randomly assigned 130 patients with mild-to-moderate DLB to receive one of two oral doses of novel therapeutic CT1812 or placebo each day for 6 months.

Patients in the treatment arms of the study registered a 91% decline in fluctuations related to attention span and an 82% slowing in the total neuropsychiatric inventory, including significant reduction in anxiety symptoms, hallucinations and other delusions, according to the release.

The study met its primary endpoint of safety and tolerability, while caregiver distress was also significantly reduced, suggesting treatment would provide lasting, positive impact in daily quality of life for patients and their caregivers, per the release.

Cognition Therapeutics said in the release that additional details from the study will be presented at the International Lewy Body Dementia Conference in January.

“These topline results exceeded our expectations and support the broad potential of CT1812 across neurodegenerative disorders,” Anthony Caggiano, MD, PhD, chief medical officer and head of research and development for Cognition, stated in the release. “We look forward to reporting these findings at future medical meetings and reviewing them with the FDA in an end-of-phase 2 meeting.”