New campaign aims to boost early recognition of Parkinson’s symptoms
Initiative highlights need for clearer communication across care teams
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- Campaign supports earlier identification of Parkinson’s symptoms and clearer communication among care teams.
- Low symptom awareness, especially in younger people, may delay diagnosis. The campaign highlights off episodes.
- Bial is developing BIA 28-6156 for people with Parkinson’s and a GBA1 gene variation, now in a Phase 2b trial.
Bial has launched an international education campaign to support clearer communication and the early identification of symptoms among people with Parkinson’s disease, carers, and healthcare professionals.
The year-long campaign, called “Dialogues with Parkinson’s,” is being developed in collaboration with Parkinson’s Europe to mark World Parkinson’s Day, held on April 11 during Parkinson’s Awareness Month. It includes digital content and educational resources, such as guides and checklists, to help build a shared language among patients, carers, and healthcare professionals.
Company continues research into potential Parkinson’s treatment
The company is developing BIA 28-6156 for people with Parkinson’s who have a pathogenic variation in the GBA1 gene. The molecule is being evaluated in the Phase 2b ACTIVATE trial (NCT05819359). According to the company, topline results are expected by the end of the first half of this year.
“We are committed, and we aim to continue creating value that transforms the lives of people living with Parkinson’s disease, whether through campaigns and actions that place patients and their needs at the centre, or through the research we carry out every day,” João Norte, Bial’s vice president of global marketing, access and patient value, said in a press release.
Parkinson’s is caused by the progressive loss of nerve cells that produce dopamine, a chemical messenger that helps control movement. The loss of dopamine disrupts nerve signaling, ultimately leading to the disease’s symptoms.
The disease is estimated to affect more than 10 million people worldwide and is predicted to reach 25 million by 2050. While it usually affects people late in life, about 10% to 20% of cases are identified before age 50.
“From our interactions with the Parkinson’s community, we have observed that two perceptions remain deeply rooted in Parkinson’s disease: that it is exclusively associated with older age, and a low awareness of one’s own symptoms,” Norte said. “These factors can contribute to delaying the diagnosis, particularly among younger people, where signs are more subtle and unexpected, and may compromise disease treatment.”
Campaign aims to support earlier identification of symptoms
The campaign is designed to support the early identification of Parkinson’s symptoms and timely treatment adjustments by promoting informed communication and encouraging more productive conversations among everyone involved in care.
It particularly focuses on the timely identification of off episodes, periods when medication stops working and symptoms return or intensify. These episodes are typically associated with the long-term use of levodopa, a mainstay treatment for Parkinson’s.
The ACTIVATE study is testing BIA 28-6156 in more than 200 people with Parkinson’s, who are randomly assigned to 10 mg or 60 mg oral daily doses, or a placebo, for up to 78 weeks.
Its main goal is to assess how well the treatment works by measuring the time to clinically meaningful worsening of motor symptoms and daily functioning. Secondary goals include patients’ own reports of changes in their condition and quality of life after starting treatment.
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