News

Sunovion Pharmaceuticals’ apomorphine sublingual under-the-tongue film (APL-130277) — now under review for approval —  significantly improved motor fluctuations, or off episodes, in Parkinson’s patients in Phase 3 clinical trial, results show. The double-blind pivotal study, (NCT02469090), evaluated the efficacy and safety of APL-130277 as a fast-acting oral treatment for…

A new device that can increase the production of viable neural stem cells may change the landscape of neural stem cell therapies as potential strategies for neurodegenerative and chronic diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The invention, developed by a team at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), was recently…

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) may increase the levels of hepcidin — a hormone associated with iron accumulation and inflammation in the brain — in Parkinson’s disease patients, according to a small Polish study. The study, “Higher serum levels of pro-hepcidin in patients with Parkinson’s disease treated with…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Voyager Therapeutics’ gene therapy candidate VY-AADC regenerative medicine advanced therapy (RMAT) designation for the treatment of therapy-resistant motor fluctuations in Parkinson’s patients. The RMAT designation, recently created by the FDA, is given to regenerative medicine products intended to treat, modify, reverse,…

More than half of Parkinson’s patients who have been treated with a dopamine agonist may develop impulse control disorders over time, according to recent research. The study, “Longitudinal analysis of impulse control disorders in Parkinson disease,” was published in the journal Neurology. Impulse control disorders are characterized…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) recently held a summit to discuss the unmet needs and challenges for advancing therapies to slow down or halt Parkinson’s disease. The event, which took place in New York, was attended by representatives from 20 companies, a number of academic centers and research organizations, and…

A new tool called cardiopulmonary coupling could be used to effectively evaluate sleep quality in Parkinson’s disease patients, who often experience sleep disorders, according to a study. The study, “Assessment of sleep quality using cardiopulmonary coupling analysis in patients with Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Brain and Behavior.

The Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center (PICC) and Axial Biotherapeutics have launched a partnership to develop interventions targeting gastrointestinal metabolites that may fuel the development of Parkinson’s disease. Previous work by Axial’s scientific co-founder Sarkis Mazmanian, PhD, has shown that the human gut microbiome — the natural collection of…

The majority of patients — eight of 10 — diagnosed with a brain disease for which there are available therapies remain untreated, according to data from the Value of Treatment study of the European Brain Council (EBC). That finding and more were shared and discussed recently at the 4th…

A new robotic system, called OSCANN Desk, uses eye movement to help diagnose Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. This non-invasive technology, developed by researchers at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain, and AURA Innovative Robotics Company, is in the phase of clinical trial authorized by the Spanish Agency of…