SUN CITY, Ariz. (Sept. 23, 2025) – A promising new study at Banner Sun Health Research Institute is offering hope to people with Lewy body dementia, a condition affecting more than 1 million Americans.
Banner specialists combine research with patient care to treat dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), which is often misdiagnosed because symptoms mirror both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Their expertise in identifying subtle differences between dementia types allows patients to access targeted clinical trials while receiving specialist support, connecting lab discoveries with real patient needs.
Sun City residents James Courtright and his long time partner Susan Ross have seen firsthand how this research can change lives. About four years ago, James began struggling with daily tasks and couldn't form complete sentences. Susan recounts the 18 months they spent searching for answers.
“I knew something was wrong, and the problem was that we had no warning signs this was coming. But once we met with Dr. David Shprecher, our world changed,” said Susan. “He knew that James had dementia with Lewy bodies.”
"Patients living with Lewy body dementia can be tough to diagnose, which means there is a delay in finding effective treatments,” said David Shprecher, DO, senior movement disorders director at Banner Sun Health Research Institute. "The expertise by our team to not only help diagnose patients but provide access to the latest treatment options through clinical research is unmatched, and James is now volunteering in a new expanded access program for treatment.”
Zervimesine is an oral medication that showed promise in slowing the progression of dementia with Lewy body symptoms during a phase 2 clinical trial. Since then, an anonymous donation has made it possible to provide the medication in an expanded access program, a pathway for patients to access investigational medicines when there are no other alternatives available. Banner Sun Health Research Institute is the first site globally to begin enrolling. James was eligible, and one of the first to enroll nationally. He will continue in the program for the next 12 months, helping researchers collect long-term data about the safety and efficacy of the medication. For the Sun City couple, they’re already hopeful for change.
"For years, Susan would order for me at restaurants because I couldn't put sentences together," said James. "Now, I can order on my own. I make complete sentences, my speech is different, and my actions are different. It's amazing."
Susan added, "In the mornings he would stand there and forget what to do. Now he gets out of bed and knows exactly what he needs to do. Our lives are absolutely more enriched."
James has personal reasons for participating.
"I have two adult children, and their mother passed away with Alzheimer's. My family also has a history of Parkinson's," he said. "I'm doing this for them, and for my grandkids. I know if I do, I'll have hope that we'll have answers – not a cure, but a way to slow down the effects of the disease."
For more information about Banner’s clinical trials, click here.
Since 1986, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, part of nonprofit Banner Health, has been a leader nationally and internationally in the effort to find answers to disorders of aging including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The institute’s Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research takes laboratory discoveries to clinical trials that foster hope for new treatments. Banner Health is Arizona’s leading health care provider and largest private employer. For more information, visit bannershri.com or visit us on Facebook.
Photos courtesy of Susan Ross
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