WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A small exploratory clinical trial, carried out by Dr. Gary E. Gibson’s laboratory at the Burke Neurological Institute in collaboration with researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, suggests that benfotiamine, a synthetic precursor of thiamine (vitamin B1), has the potential to be an effective treatment or preventive measure for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study found the drug both safe and effective in slowing the rate of functional decline in participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early AD. The research was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and paves the way for a larger clinical trial.