Daily tablet shows staggering success in slowing or even reversing dementia in new trials By MEIKE LEONARD Published: 00:53, 10 November 2024 | Updated: 00:59, 10 November 2024 e-mail View comments A twice-daily tablet regularly used by the NHS could slow or even reverse certain forms of incurable dementia, a study has claimed. Nilotinib, a blood cancer medicine, was previously shown to improve movement and mental function in a small group of patients with Parkinson's disease-related dementia and Lewy body dementia during a 2015 trial. For some patients, the £2,000-a-year drug appeared to even reverse dementia symptoms – with one woman regaining the ability to feed herself and three nonverbal patients speaking again.
Now a larger trial involving 43 participants has confirmed that nilotinib can improve balance, cognition and memory in patients with Lewy body dementia – a form of dementia caused by protein deposits known as Lewy bodies which develop in the brain. Experts believe nilotinib – which works by blocking the production of new cells in the body – is able to enter the brain and reduce the build-up of these toxic proteins. A new daily tablet available through the NHS could slow or even reverse certain forms of cancer (file photo) It is thought a similar effect is seen with people with Parkinson's dementia – a form of memory and cognition loss triggered by the degenerative brain condition – as these patients also experience build-ups of Lewy bodies.
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