News

Measuring the levels of alpha-synuclein in red blood cells can reliably distinguish people with Parkinson’s disease and evident motor symptoms from healthy individuals, and could serve as a diagnostic biomarker, a study reports. These levels in Parkinson’s patients with symptoms of dementia, however, did not measurably differ from healthy…

Mission Therapeutics and AbbVie have identified several molecules, called deubiquitylating enzymes, or DUBs, that may be potential therapeutic targets to treat Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. This comes after the two companies announced a collaboration last year to identify DUB inhibitors to treat these neurodegenerative…

Cerevance has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its oral investigational therapy CVN424 for treating Parkinson’s disease motor symptoms. CVN424 is small molecule that can penetrate the brain and modulate the activity of specific nerve cells in the striatum…

Tasigna (nilotinib), an approved leukemia medication being tested as a repurposed treatment for Parkinson’s disease, failed to show any clinically meaningful benefits in a Phase 2 trial, the study’s steering committee announced. Although an announcement of the study’s topline data was originally planned for 2020, the trial’s steering…

Aptinyx will soon open a Phase 2 clinical study of NYX-458, a potential oral treatment of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although the main features of Parkinson’s involve difficulties with mobility and motor function, many patients also experience non-motor symptoms that include cognitive problems, for…

People with Parkinson’s disease are at elevated risk of hip and non-vertebral fractures mostly because of the balance problems inherent to the disease and poorer bone health, a review study reports. These findings support making fracture risk assessment part of standard care for Parkinson’s patients. The study, “…

Patients who undergo deep brain stimulation to treat Parkinson’s disease may lose their ability to swim, even if their motor symptoms improve after the treatment or if they were formerly proficient swimmers, a collection of nine case studies has found. The study, “Beware of deep water after…

A pilot Phase 2 study evaluating CNM-Au8, an investigational Parkinson’s treatment aiming to protect nerve cells, has started dosing patients, the therapy’s developer, Clene Nanomedicine, announced. The open-label REPAIR-PD (NCT03815916) clinical trial is enrolling up to 24 people, ages 30 to 80 and diagnosed within the past three years,…

Second-hand smoke may have a neuroprotective effect, as exposure to this type of indoor pollutant seems to be associated with a decreased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. Conversely, exposure to certain air pollutants — like nitrogen dioxide and ozone — might contribute to…

RightEye’s Vision System, an advanced eye-tracking device that measures eye tremors to help diagnose Parkinson’s disease at early stages, has been designated a breakthrough device by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This FDA designation is given select medical devices or…