Patricia Inácio, PhD,  science writer—

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given fast track designation to the investigational cell therapy DA01, now in a clinical trial in people with advanced Parkinson’s disease. Developed by BlueRock Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer, DA01 is made up of dopamine-producing nerve cells derived from…

Ipsen has entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Integrative Research Laboratories (IRLAB) to develop and commercialize mesdopetam, an experimental therapy for reducing levodopa-induced dyskinesia, or involuntary movements, in people with Parkinson’s disease. “We are excited to enter this licensing agreement with IRLAB. By working in partnership,…

A £1.375 ($1.9) million grant from the Edmond J. Safra Foundation will support a pioneering clinical trial aimed at speeding the development of new therapies for Parkinson’s disease. “This project will revolutionise the way we perform clinical trials of potentially disease-modifying drugs for people with Parkinson’s,” Thomas Foltynie, PhD, MD, a…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a Phase 3 trial to test multiple infusions of fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells — ones obtained from healthy donors — in people with Parkinson’s disease. The Hope Biosciences Stem Cell Research Foundation (HBSCRF), which received the authorization, already has a…

Aleva Neurotherapeutic’s innovative directional deep brain stimulation (DBS) system — called directSTIM — for Parkinson’s disease has been implanted in the first patient participating in a German study. That study, which aims to demonstrate improved outcomes when using this DBS technology in individuals with Parkinson’s and essential tremor,…

A new biobank in Sweden, containing blood samples from patients with Parkinson’s disease and age- and sex-matched healthy people — along with data regarding the individuals’ lifestyles and medical histories — may help researchers investigate the underlying mechanisms of the neurodegenerative disorder and find new treatments. The biobank is…

Levodopa, a standard treatment for Parkinson’s disease, reached the brain faster when given as a gel into the nasal cavity than as an intravenous (into-the-vein) injection, a new mouse study shows. The findings support the potential of intranasal administration as a way to reach the brain and bypass…

Creative Medical Technology Holdings has extended the applications of its investigational “regenerative immunotherapy” ImmCelz to include Parkinson’s disease, after seeing positive preclinical data from a mouse model of the disease, according to a company press release. ImmCelz inhibited the onset of Parkinson’s symptoms in a mouse model of the…

The Parkinson’s Foundation has received a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support a photo exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist Safi Alia Shabaik documenting her father’s journey with Parkinson’s disease. “I am humbled and elated by the NEA’s thoughtful recognition of this project…

A rapid, inexpensive, and easy-to-use test can help to assess a loss of smell, and with greater accuracy than current “scratch and sniff” tests, allowing neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease to be suspected at early stages, researchers report. Their study “A novel capsule-based smell test fabricated via coaxial…