| Indication | dementia with Lewy bodies psychosis |
| Drug | zervimesine |
| Company | Cognition Therapeutics, Inc. |
| Trial Phase | Phase 2 |
| Trial Acronym | SHIMMER |
| NCT ID | NCT05225415 |
| Category | Regulatory Milestone |
| Sub Category | Approval Pending |
| Conference Name | 2026 Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference, H.C. Wainwright 7th Annual Neuro Perspectives Expert Summit |
| Presentation Date/Time | June 4, 2026 at 1:25 p.m. Eastern Time, On-demand beginning June 15, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time |
| Presenter | Lisa Ricciardi |
| Webcast Link | https://event.summitcast.com/view/NgCqua4VVQjq9ibVWHVWca/WzeQ8agBoHuJaZJGm7SNVS, https://journey.ct.events/view/f3057b01-b3b7-40c1-9cf9-6aa45cea212a |
| Funding | nearly $200 million in National Institutes of Health and related foundation grants |
| Other Indications Mentioned | Alzheimer’s disease, geographic atrophy, Parkinson’s |
| Drug Type | investigational once-daily oral therapy |
Cognition Therapeutics to Update on DLB Psychosis Program at Investor Conferences
Cognition Therapeutics, Inc. announced that its President and CEO, Lisa Ricciardi, will present at two upcoming financial conferences in June 2026. She will provide updates on the company's plans for a registration program for zervimesine (CT1812) in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) psychosis. This follows strong efficacy signals observed in the Phase 2 SHIMMER study (NCT05225415) for DLB. The presentations will be available via live and archived webcasts, offering insights into the company's strategic direction and clinical advancements.
- Cognition Therapeutics' President and CEO, Lisa Ricciardi, is scheduled to present at the 2026 Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference on June 4, 2026, at 1:25 p.m. ET, and the H.C. Wainwright 7th Annual Neuro Perspectives Expert Summit, available on-demand from June 15, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. ET. These presentations will offer updates on the company's strategic plans and clinical progress.
- The company plans to advance its lead candidate, zervimesine (CT1812), into a late-stage clinical trial specifically for people with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) psychosis. This decision is based on the strong efficacy signals observed in the Phase 2 SHIMMER study (NCT05225415), recognizing the significant market size and unmet medical need in this indication.
- Zervimesine (CT1812) is an investigational once-daily oral therapy that has shown promise in Phase 2 clinical trials for DLB and mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. It is also being studied in the Phase 2 START Study (NCT05531656) for MCI and early Alzheimer’s, has been generally well tolerated in clinical studies, and is backed by nearly $200 million in NIH and related foundation grants.
Addressing Unmet Needs in Dementia with Lewy Bodies Psychosis
Current treatment approaches for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) psychosis face significant therapeutic challenges that limit effective patient management. The primary obstacle stems from the characteristic neuroleptic sensitivity in DLB patients, which severely restricts pharmacological options for managing psychotic symptoms. These limitations have created a complex clinical landscape where standard psychiatric interventions often prove inadequate or dangerous.
• Severe neuroleptic sensitivity creates a fundamental treatment barrier, as DLB patients exhibit hypersensitivity to antipsychotics with serious adverse events including somnolence, sedation, extrapyramidal symptoms, delirium, and increased mortality risk
• Paradoxical symptom worsening occurs with antidopaminergic medications, as antipsychotics can exacerbate both motor and neuropsychiatric symptoms, including cognition and psychosis, with clinical deterioration intensity varying and potentially resulting in mortality
• Limited approved therapeutic options persist, with no disease-modifying treatments available and historically no approved drugs for treating psychotic symptoms in movement disorders until recent developments with agents like pimavanserin
• Suboptimal clinical practice patterns are evident in real-world settings, as Swedish nursing home data reveals residents with DLB features receive inappropriate care with high antipsychotic usage (25-43%) and insufficient anti-dementia medication (37% vs 62-69% in other dementia patients)
• Narrow therapeutic windows characterize available treatments, as clozapine requires intensive blood monitoring making it difficult to use, while even newer agents like pimavanserin or very-low dose clozapine (6.25mg) can cause severe symptomatic hypotension requiring careful dose titration
• Diagnostic delays and inaccuracies compound treatment challenges, preventing many patients from receiving optimal care and psychosocial support due to delayed or incorrect diagnosis following symptom onset
Designing Pivotal Trials for Zervimesine in DLB Psychosis
Pivotal trials for DLB psychosis require carefully defined patient populations to ensure study validity and regulatory acceptance. The available evidence from multiple clinical trials reveals consistent patterns in patient selection criteria, though specific exclusion criteria are often underreported in the literature.
• Core diagnostic requirements include patients meeting consensus criteria for probable DLB with documented presence of the cardinal features: parkinsonism (reported in 71-92% of enrolled patients), visual hallucinations, and fluctuating cognition
• Psychosis severity thresholds are established using validated scales, particularly the Neuropsychiatric Inventory/Nursing Home (NPI-NH) version and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) to confirm clinically significant psychotic symptoms warranting intervention
• Recruitment strategies typically encompass both neurological centers (67% of patients) and psychiatric centers (27% of patients) to capture the full spectrum of DLB presentations, with total enrollment ranging from 135-273 patients across phase II and III studies
• Supportive clinical features are documented but not always required, including REM sleep behavior disorder, depression, and delusions, which occur in 35-40% of enrolled patients, plus anxiety symptoms present in approximately 55% of participants
• Exclusion criteria remain poorly characterized in the published literature, representing a significant gap in trial design transparency that may impact reproducibility and regulatory guidance for future zervimesine studies
Zervimesine's Strategic Advance in DLB Psychosis
The recent announcement from Cognition Therapeutics signals a potentially pivotal moment for zervimesine (CT1812), particularly in the context of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) psychosis. With 'strong efficacy signals' emerging from the Phase 2 SHIMMER study, the company is now charting a course towards a registration program, a strategic move that underscores the significant unmet need in DLB. This condition, characterized by debilitating non-motor symptoms like psychosis, currently lacks adequate therapeutic options, making zervimesine's progress highly anticipated.
Zervimesine's mechanism of action, as a first-in-class sigma-2 receptor complex allosteric antagonist that prevents amyloid-beta oligomer binding, offers a novel approach to potentially modify the disease course rather than merely manage symptoms. This scientific differentiation could be key to its success in a crowded neurodegenerative pipeline. By focusing on DLB psychosis, the company aims to address a specific, high-impact symptom, potentially accelerating its path to market and establishing a strong initial indication.
However, the journey ahead is not without considerations. While the Phase 2 data are encouraging, the 'favorable, consistent trends' were observed in exploratory endpoints. This means that larger, well-powered studies will be critical to confirm these signals with definitive primary outcomes. Furthermore, the Phase 2 DLB study indicated a dose-dependent tolerability profile, with a higher discontinuation rate for the 300 mg dose compared to 100 mg and placebo. This will necessitate careful dose selection and monitoring in subsequent trials. Earlier studies in Alzheimer's disease also presented mixed cognitive outcomes, suggesting that while the drug may impact underlying pathology, demonstrating broad cognitive improvement could remain a challenge. The path forward will require robust clinical execution to translate these promising early signals into a confirmed, well-tolerated, and effective therapy for patients.
Frequently Asked Questions
References
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