News

A potential gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease associated with mutations in the GBA1 gene, PR001, will move into clinical testing in patients after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted an application for the therapy, Prevail Therapeutics announced. FDA acceptance of the company’s Investigational New…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a generic equivalent to Sinemet (carbidopa/levodopa) for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, according to a press release. The oral therapy, produced by India-based Alembic Pharmaceuticals, will be available as extended-release tablets containing either 50 mg…

A single dose of Axovant’s gene therapy candidate AXO-Lenti-PD continues to improve motor function and has been well-tolerated after six months in two patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease, according to early results of an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial. “We continue to be encouraged by the consistency of the…

Japanese researchers have reported that zonisamide — an antiparkinsonian medicine approved in Japan as a combination therapy with levodopa — may be associated with a lower risk of dementia, insomnia, and gastric ulcers in Parkinson’s disease, compared with other non-levodopa medicines. Their research was published in the…

With the aim of transforming training and education for Parkinson’s disease  and Lewy body dementia (LBD) caregivers and healthcare professionals, Embodied Labs has created a new virtual reality immersive learning lab. Embodied Labs allows caregivers and medical staff to embody a person with a specific condition, and…

Acupuncture may be beneficial to alleviate motor symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease, according to data collected from mouse studies. The findings were published in the study, “Does Acupuncture Protect Dopamine Neurons in Parkinson’s Disease Rodent Model?: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,”…

More than 1 in every 3 — some 40 percent — of Parkinson’s patients have “off periods,” the return of motor and non-motor symptoms as the effectiveness of a  treatment’s dose wears off. Artworks created in collaboration with patients, part of an Acorda Therapeutics program, are helping to…

Parkinson’s disease-related protein Parkin may rely on another protein called MITOL to repair damaged mitochondria, the small organelles that provide energy to cells and, when defective, can damage brain nerve cells. Understanding these molecular mechanisms may help improve Parkinson’s therapies that intend to boost Parkin activity. The study…

A new study highlights some of the differences in perspective on disease management between people living with Parkinson’s disease and doctors treating them. The study looks at non-motor symptoms, method of medication delivery, and awareness of support services as places where doctors’ and patients’ perceptions don’t line up, and suggests…

Connexin-32 — a protein found in small channels between nerve cells and involved in cell-to-cell communication — works to progress Parkinson’s disease by binding to alpha-synuclein and spreading toxic protein clumps throughout the brain, research suggests. The study, “Binding of α-synuclein oligomers to Cx32 facilitates protein uptake and transfer in…