Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

A Phase 2 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of investigational Anavex 2-73 as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease dementia has recruited half of its targeted patients, the therapy’s developer, Anavex Life Sciences, has announced. The study is still recruiting Parkinson’s disease patients age 50 or older who have been diagnosed with…

Exercise has the potential to improve cognitive function in people with Parkinson’s disease, and has positive effects on motor symptoms, according to a recent literature review study. “The potential of exercise to improve motor and non-motor symptoms is promising and may help to decelerate disease progression in individuals affected by…

AbbVie and Voyager Therapeutics have extended their collaboration to co-develop and commercialize antibodies that target the toxic forms of alpha-synuclein to treat Parkinson’s disease and other synucleinopathies. The collaboration will combine AbbVie’s expertise in monoclonal antibodies with Voyager’s gene therapy platform to deliver antibodies across the blood-brain barrier…

ProMIS Neurosciences has identified several antibody candidates that specifically target the toxic forms of alpha-synuclein, a key component of Lewy bodies that underlie the development of Parkinson’s disease. In vitro (in the lab) studies have shown that ProMIS’s antibody candidates for Parkinson’s disease have a high specificity for toxic forms of…

An investigational gene therapy was able to preserve nerve axons — long projections that connect nerve cells and transport information — in a mouse model of severe axonal degeneration. Because axon degeneration precedes the death of neurons in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the findings…

Parkinson’s disease patients with mild cognitive impairment who undergo deep brain stimulation are at a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia, a long term “real-life”study suggests. The study, “Longterm outcome of cognition, affective state, and quality of life following subthalamic deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease,” was…

Researchers have found that mutations in a gene linked to hereditary forms of Parkinson’s disease — SLC30A10 — cause accumulation of toxic levels of manganese inside cells, which disturbs protein transport and alters nerve cell function, leading to parkinsonian symptoms. The study “SLC30A10 Mutation Involved in Parkinsonism Results in Manganese Accumulation within…

Gout appears to be associated with a higher risk of incident Parkinson’s disease in older adults, according to a study that looked at Medicare data in the U.S. The study, “Gout and the risk of Parkinson’s disease in older adults: a study of U.S. Medicare data” was published…

IRL790, Integrative Research Laboratories‘ investigational treatment for Parkinson’s disease patients, was safe and reduced levodopa-induced dyskinesia, a Phase 1b trial shows. The results were published in the journal npj Parkinson’s Disease in the study, “Safety and tolerability of IRL790 in Parkinson’s disease with levodopa-induced…

Arbutin, a natural compound found in plants such as bearberry leaves and pear trees, was able to protect dopaminergic neurons and reduce behavioral deficits and oxidative stress in an animal model of Parkinson’s disease, a study reports. The study, “Arbutin attenuates behavioral impairment and oxidative stress in an…