José Lopes, PhD, managing science editor —

A Phase 1b clinical trial exploring the oral LRRK2 inhibitor DNL151 has started dosing Parkinson’s patients, the therapy’s developer Denali Therapeutics announced. The 28-day, multicenter, and double-blind study (NCT04056689) is testing two doses of DNL151 against placebo in people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease, and with or…

An engineered protein known as AS69 is able to bind to individual units of alpha-synuclein to prevent them from clumping, and — in a fly model of Parkinson’s disease — its use led to preserved motor function, a study reports. The study, “An engineered monomer binding-protein for…

Floor patterns with large, transverse visual cues may lessen freezing of gait  in patients with Parkinson’s, according to new research. The study, “Pavement Patterns Can Be Designed to Improve Gait in Parkinson’s Disease Patients,” was published in the journal Movement Disorders. A common feature…

Following the positive results of a Phase 2a clinical trial, IRLAB Therapeutics is planning a Phase 2b/3 study for the first half of 2020 that will test IRL790 as an oral treatment candidate for Parkinson’s patients with levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) — involuntary, jerky movements that can…

A Phase 2 clinical trial of SEP-363856, an oral treatment candidate for patients with Parkinson’s psychosis, is recruiting participants throughout the U.S. The Sunovion-funded SEP361-203 study (NCT02969369) will be conducted at 24 U.S. sites and will include approximately 36 participants, 24 on SEP-363856 and 12…

Patients with Parkinson’s are at a greater risk of developing impulse control disorders (ICDs) if they are depressed, according to results from an international study. The findings also revealed that treatment with dopamine agonists increases this susceptibility, and caution is advised when prescribing such therapies to depressed Parkinson’s…

A mathematical model created to more effectively prevent protein clumping, widely thought to underlie diseases like Parkinson’s, found that different potential treatments work best at different disease stages. As such, this model may help in designing and timing the use of therapies against protein aggregates, and in testing them in…

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) eases tremors and muscle rigidity, and improves cognition and mood in Parkinson’s patients by raising dopamine levels in the brain, a small study from Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests. The research, “Effect of STN DBS on vesicular monoamine transporter 2 and glucose metabolism…

A review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that Parkinson’s patients treated with medications containing entacapone are at no increased risk of prostate cancer. As such, the agency stands by its current recommendations for the use of Stalevo (entacapone/carbidopa/levodopa) and Comtan (entacapone; brand name is Comtess…

Bayer has announced an agreement to acquire the cell therapy company BlueRock Therapeutics, and plans to open a clinical trial of a potential Parkinson’s stem cell-based treatment this year. BlueRock, which will remain an independent entity under the plan, has a portfolio that focuses on engineered stem cell…