What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 75 patients with parkinson's disease. The study was sponsored by Georgetown University and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was mid-stage testing (phase 2/3). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
The lower dose reduced alpha-synuclein clumps, a hallmark of Parkinson's, in brain fluid.
JAMA neurology · 2020 · NCT02954978
These findings — that nearly half of patients on 300mg had serious side effects versus 16% on placebo — were published in the JAMA neurology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 75 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with parkinson's disease, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This was a mid-stage study showing nilotinib can reach the brain and affect chemicals involved in Parkinson's, but more serious side effects occurred with the drug compared to placebo. The treatment is not FDA-approved for Parkinson's. Larger studies are needed to know if it actually slows the disease. Talk to your doctor about proven Parkinson's treatments.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open parkinson's disease trials
Ultra-High Resolution PET in Aging, Neurodegeneration and Psychotic Disorders
The goal of this study is to use ultra-high-resolution (UHR) PET imaging to better understand how the brain and spinal cord change in healthy aging and in neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease and related movement disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and psychotic disorders. Researchers will use the NeuroExplorer PET/CT system, a new scanner that can show very small structures in the brain and spinal cord in much more detail than regular PET. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * How do small but important brain regions (like the locus coeruleus, substantia nigra, and thalamic nuclei) change in healthy aging? * What early brain changes occur in neurodegenerative and psychotic disorders, and can they help improve early diagnosis? Participants will: * Undergo PET and MRI brain scans using different tracers that measure brain metabolism (18F-FDG), synaptic density (¹⁸F-SynVesT-1), dopamine transporters (¹⁸F-PE2I), and tau protein buildup (¹⁸F-MK6240). * Complete cognitive and clinical assessments related to memory, mood, and motor or psychiatric symptoms, depending on their group. This study will include healthy volunteers and patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer´s disease, ALS, Parkinson's disease and related disorders, or psychotic disorders. The results will help create detailed brain imaging maps for healthy aging and identify early biomarkers for different diseases to support better diagnosis and treatment in the future.
Preparation and Feasibility of Exams for Expected Studies
Feasibility study: the examinations carried out as part of this protocol aim to carry out all the acquisitions and simulations of use, necessary for the development of the clinical research protocols to come to Clinatec (in particular, configuration of the equipment, dimension of the examination time and the size of the cohorts etc ...)