Treating Lewy Body Dementia by Targeting Patients Without Tau Protein
This patent describes a method to treat a specific type of Dementia with Lewy Bodies in patients who don't have a lot of another brain protein called tau, using a special kind of drug.
Original patent title: “Treatment of a selective population of patients having dementia with Lewy bodies”
This patent describes a method to treat a specific type of Dementia with Lewy Bodies in patients who don't have a lot of another brain protein called tau, using a special kind of drug. Granted in 2026.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent provides methods and compositions for treating subjects diagnosed with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). It specifically focuses on a population of patients who have DLB but do not show 'substantial tau pathology' in their brains, meaning they don't have a significant buildup of tau protein. These specific patients are shown to respond particularly well to treatment with a 'selective p38α mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor'. For example, a patient diagnosed with DLB who tests negative for high levels of tau protein could be given a drug that specifically blocks the p38α MAPK pathway.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover treating Dementia with Lewy Bodies in patients who do have substantial tau pathology, as they are shown to be less responsive.
- Does not cover treatments for other forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, unless they also present as DLB without substantial tau pathology.
- Does not cover general p38α MAPK inhibitors; it specifies a selective p38α MAPK inhibitor, implying a need for targeted action.
- Does not cover treatments for DLB that are not based on inhibiting p38α MAPK.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in identifying a specific subgroup of Dementia with Lewy Bodies patients—those without substantial tau pathology—who are uniquely responsive to p38α MAPK inhibitors. This suggests a targeted treatment approach rather than a one-size-fits-all therapy, improving the chances of treatment success.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Targeted therapies for neurodegenerative diseases
Precision medicine approaches in neurology
Drug development for Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent highlights a personalized medicine approach for Dementia with Lewy Bodies, suggesting that treatment efficacy can be improved by identifying specific patient subgroups. By focusing on patients without substantial tau pathology, it aims to provide a more effective therapeutic strategy for a challenging neurodegenerative condition. This could lead to better outcomes for a subset of DLB patients who currently have limited treatment options.
Filed
August 28, 2025
Granted
September 15, 2026
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Major pharmaceutical companies and biotech startups are actively researching targeted therapies for neurodegenerative diseases like Dementia with Lewy Bodies. Companies such as Biogen, Eli Lilly, and Roche have programs in neurodegeneration, often exploring biomarkers to identify patient subgroups for more effective treatments. Academic research institutions are also heavily involved in understanding disease subtypes and developing precision medicine strategies.
Market impact
If successful, this approach could lead to a new class of precision medicines for a specific subgroup of Dementia with Lewy Bodies patients. It could shift drug development strategies towards biomarker-driven clinical trials, potentially improving success rates for therapies in neurodegenerative diseases where broad treatments have often failed. This could create a new market segment for diagnostic tests that identify tau pathology in DLB patients.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent provides methods and compositions for treating subjects diagnosed with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). It specifically focuses on a population of patients who have DLB but do not show 'substantial tau pathology' in their brains, meaning they don't have a significant buildup of tau protein. These specific patients are shown to respond particularly well to treatment with a 'selective p38α mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor'. For example, a patient diagnosed with DLB who tests negative for high levels of tau protein could be given a drug that specifically blocks the p38α MAPK pathway.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in identifying a specific subgroup of Dementia with Lewy Bodies patients—those without substantial tau pathology—who are uniquely responsive to p38α MAPK inhibitors. This suggests a targeted treatment approach rather than a one-size-fits-all therapy, improving the chances of treatment success.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover treating Dementia with Lewy Bodies in patients who do have substantial tau pathology, as they are shown to be less responsive.
- Does not cover treatments for other forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, unless they also present as DLB without substantial tau pathology.
- Does not cover general p38α MAPK inhibitors; it specifies a selective p38α MAPK inhibitor, implying a need for targeted action.
- Does not cover treatments for DLB that are not based on inhibiting p38α MAPK.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$36K – $115K
Midpoint $72K · 18.9 yr remaining · industry ×3.0
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
Concepts involved
Cite this patent
(2026). Treating Lewy Body Dementia by Targeting Patients Without Tau Protein (U.S. Patent No. 12,734,174). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12734174/treatment-of-a-selective-population-of-patients-having-dementia-with-lewy-bodies
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Treating Lewy Body Dementia by Targeting Patients Without Tau Protein cover?
This patent describes a method to treat a specific type of Dementia with Lewy Bodies in patients who don't have a lot of another brain protein called tau, using a special kind of drug.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 15, 2046, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent highlights a personalized medicine approach for Dementia with Lewy Bodies, suggesting that treatment efficacy can be improved by identifying specific patient subgroups. By focusing on patients without substantial tau pathology, it aims to provide a more effective therapeutic strategy for a challenging neurodegenerative condition. This could lead to better outcomes for a subset of DLB patients who currently have limited treatment options.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover treating Dementia with Lewy Bodies in patients who do have substantial tau pathology, as they are shown to be less responsive.
Patent monitoring