Medical professionals have been searching for a viable treatment for Parkinson’s disease for a long time. While there have been advancements and new therapies created, many patients are still looking for better treatment options. A new, pioneering trial aims to help patients in their search, as it allows healthcare professionals to test multiple disease-modifying drugs (DMTs) at once. Now, the Edmond J. Safra Foundation has provided a $1.9 million grant to support the trial.
About Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the central nervous system (CNS). It is characterized by its effect on movement through five different stages. As the disease progresses, severity increases. Stage one is characterized by subtle tremors on one side of the body. In stage two symptoms are more noticeable, with tremors and rigidity on both sides of the body. Stage three brings loss of balance and slowed movement. Stage four makes it impossible for one to live independently. Stage five is the most severe, as patients cannot stand or walk. Hallucinations and delusions are common symptoms of this stage.
Parkinson’s disease occurs due to the death of motor neurons, some of which produce dopamine. Dopamine is important in the transmittance of messages to the muscles from the brain, so the loss of dopamine results in the loss of motor functions. Abnormal brain activity occurs when these neurons are lost. Doctors do not know why these motor neurons die, but they do suspect a few factors that play a role, such as genetics, environmental factors like toxins, and Lewy bodies.
About the NewTrial
Previously known as the Accelerating Clinical Treatments for Parkinson’s Disease project, this new trial will now be referred to as the Edmond J. Safra ACT-PD Initiative. This study is so different from previous efforts because of its design, which is multi-arm multi-stage (MAMS).
The goal of this study is to accelerate the pace at which DMTs are developed for Parkinson’s disease. Due to its novel design, multiple therapies can be tested at once with continuous transitions from early to late-stage testing. Essentially, this means that if a drug fails in the early stages, it will be set aside with no more time wasted on it. In the end, this trial will test 12 treatments within five years. At a normal pace, this would take approximately four decades.
Leaders of this study include Doctors Foltynie and Sonia Gandhi, both of whom work at the UCL Movement Disorders Centre, and Dr. Camille Carroll of the University of Plymouth. UCL’s Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit will also participate in the study, as will Parkinson’s disease patients and their caregivers. In addition, the National Institute of Health Research will support this trial.
Hopefully, this new method of testing Parkinson’s disease treatments will lead to more approvals and viable options for patients. You can find the source article here.
