Magdalena Kegel,  —

Researchers in Japan are preparing for a first human trial of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in patients with Parkinson’s disease, after obtaining promising data from a study in monkeys. The study, which appeared in the journal Nature, demonstrated that transplanting human iPSCs into the brains of the primate…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will not process Acorda Therapeutics‘ marketing application for Inbrija (CVT-301), intended for the treatment of off-periods in Parkinson’s disease, until certain questions are answered. The FDA’s refusal to accept Acorda’s new drug application (NDA) for Inbrija wasn’t based on safety or efficacy concerns,…

Brain proteins called granulins — previously thought to be toxic — might play a crucial role in brain health, according to a study that suggests the proteins might be linked to several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s. The identification of a new tool to track the proteins allowed Emory University…

Parkinson’s disease may in part be driven by autoimmune processes, according to researchers who discovered that certain immune cells react to alpha-synuclein — a protein that accumulates in the brains of Parkinson’s patients. The findings, published in the journal Nature, raise the possibility that immunotherapy could be used to…

A range of biomarkers may help physicians predict which Parkinson’s disease patients will develop cognitive decline in the early years of a diagnosis, say researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. The information may help manage the disease better, but will be especially valuable in future clinical trials. For the…

Experts from ATCC — a leading nonprofit repository of biological materials — partnered with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research for a workshop at the recent International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) 2017 Annual Meeting. The workshop aimed to address best practices for providing…

The fourth and last patient of the first group in a clinical trial of stem cell transplants in Parkinson’s disease has successfully received the transplant, the International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) reported. Researchers are now preparing for the next stage, in which patients will receive a higher number of…

Flexilev microtablets containing both levodopa/carbidopa, used with an automatic dose dispenser, seemed to improve self-reported symptom control in some patients with Parkinson’s disease, according to a first report of the treatment’s real-life use. The study, “First clinical experience with levodopa/carbidopa microtablets in Parkinson’s disease,” also noted that most patients…

Researchers at two world-renowned institutions have presented a new theory of how Parkinson’s disease (PD) and its symptoms develop— challenging the dominant view that PD emerges as the protein alpha-synuclein spreads from neuron to neuron in an infection-like manner. In an opinion piece, “The Threshold Theory for Parkinson’s Disease,” the two…

NeuroDerm’s Phase 2 Parkinson’s disease (PD) trial of ND0612H — a continuous infusion of levodopa and carbidopa delivered by a small belt pump — has met both primary and key secondary endpoints by demonstrating that the treatment effectively reduced “off-time” and increased the number of patients with advanced…