Cancer drug improved cognition, motor skills in small Parkinson's clinical trial

An FDA-approved drug for leukemia improved cognition, motor skills and non-motor function in patients with Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia in a small phase I clinical trial, report researchers. In addition, the drug, nilotinib (Tasigna by Novartis), led to statistically significant and encouraging changes in toxic proteins linked to disease progression (biomarkers).