Conditions: Alzheimer's Disease
Keywords: Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 20
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Retinoid X receptors (RXR) are nuclear receptors that have been linked to numerous metabolic pathways relevant to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Aβ (harmful protein) production and removal. The study drug "bexarotene" is an FDA approved anti-cancer agent but is not approved for use in Alzheimer's disease. Bexarotene acts as an RXR agonist that has reduced Aβ (harmful protein) in the brain in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease.

This study aims to determine the safety and effect on abnormal proteins found in the brain (based on brain scans) of 300 mg of "bexarotene" administered for one month compared to placebo (inactive agent).

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: 75 mg of Bexarotene BID for week 1, then increasing to 150 mg BID for weeks 2 to 4.

Weeks 5 to 8 is Open-label phase (150 mg BID for 4 weeks) arm 2: 1 placebo capsule BID for week 1, then increasing to 2 placebo capsules BID for weeks 2 to 4.

Weeks 5 to 8 is Open-label phase (150 mg BID for 4 weeks)

Interventions: intervention 1: Bexarotene intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Subjects will be randomized 4:1 to receive 4 weeks of double blind treatment of either Bexarotene or Placebo intervention 2: None

Protocol document: