Testing a new treatment for a type of progressive language disorder linked to brain degeneration.
Official title: Veri-T: A phase 1 Placebo-Controlled Trial of Verdiperstat in Semantic Variant Primary Progressive Aphasia Due to Underlying FTLD-TDP
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-10893644 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how safe and helpful a new medication called Verdiperstat is for people with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), and if you join, you might receive either the medication or a placebo without knowing which one, to help researchers learn more about treating this condition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $633,691 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG073482-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-10893644 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other forms of dementia or those not diagnosed with svPPA may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This clinical trial investigates the safety and effectiveness of Verdiperstat, a medication aimed at treating semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), which is often associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Patients will be randomly assigned to receive either the medication or a placebo in a double-blind manner, meaning neither the patients nor the researchers will know who receives which treatment. The trial will assess how well the medication is tolerated and its potential effects on the disease. This is the first multi-site trial focused on svPPA, aiming to build a foundation for future studies in this area.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to a new treatment option for patients suffering from svPPA and related conditions.
How similar studies have gone: While this specific approach is novel, there is ongoing research into treatments for related conditions that may provide insights into its potential effectiveness.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ljubenkov, Peter Alexander — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Ljubenkov, Peter Alexander
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Communication Bridge: Improving language therapy for people with primary progressive aphasia
A proven language-therapy program called Communication Bridge helps people with primary progressive aphasia improve and maintain how they communicate with others.
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Bilingualism and language resilience in Hispanic people with primary progressive aphasia
Researchers compare different bilingual experiences to see how they relate to language decline and thinking skills in Hispanic adults with primary progressive aphasia.
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Communication Bridge helps people with primary progressive aphasia talk more clearly
Aimed at people with primary progressive aphasia, this project tests a speech-language and psychosocial program delivered by telepractice to improve daily communication and quality of life.
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Transcranial current therapy for language in progressive aphasia
A world-class team is testing a painless brain-stimulation method to help people with primary progressive aphasia say more words and names.
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Improving communication support for people with primary progressive aphasia
This project improves and delivers an evidence-based speech and communication program to help people with primary progressive aphasia and their care partners, including through telehealth.
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Primary Progressive Aphasia: How speech and language decline happens and progresses
This grant studies a brain disease called primary progressive aphasia to understand why speech and language slip up over time.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.