Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

-- Submission Includes Successful 300 mg Bioequivalence Study -- Six Month Review Decision Expected Under PDUFA CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 9, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. (CHTP) today announced that it resubmitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to market NORTHERA(TM) (droxidopa), an orally active synthetic precursor of norepinephrine, for the treatment of symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH) in patients with primary autonomic failure (Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy and pure autonomic failure), dopamine beta hydroxylase deficiency and non-diabetic autonomic neuropathy. The NDA resubmission includes data from Study 306B, a large phase 3 study which confirms findings from Study 301 demonstrating improvement in dizziness/lightheadedness, the cardinal symptom of NOH. Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, the FDA is expected to review and act on the NDA six months from the date of resubmission. "The resubmission of our Northera NDA marks a critical step in our effort to bring an important new therapeutic option to patients living with this debilitating condition," said Joseph G. Oliveto, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Chelsea. "We now have two large randomized placebo-controlled clinical studies which show that treatment with Northera results … Continue reading →

By Jon Byman CREATED 5:35 AM - UPDATED: 7:58 AM WAUWATOSA - Work being done at the Medical College of Wisconsin may hold promise for treatment of Parkinson's disease. "These are exciting times," said Dr. Balaraman Kalyanaraman, or Dr. Raman as he goes by. Dr. Raman is part of a group working on what could become a new treatment for Parkinson's. It's a long way off, but if they can demonstrate it works and fund drug trials, "that will change the way we treat this disease." Dr. Raman and his team have found an antioxidant that seems to slow the loss of motor function and smell when mice that were expected to get Parkinson's' symptoms were treated early. The team hopes to move to the next step and human trials, which they'd need to complete before the treatment could get to the market. Click Here to read more about the research. More: Work at Medical College may hold promise for Parkinson's … Continue reading →

Video will begin in 5 seconds. British broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson vows to continue working despite being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Revered British broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The talk show legend, 78, began radiotherapy treatment last week after the cancer was discovered during a routine medical examination, and he is urging other men to have regular check-ups. Parkinson, who has interviewed stars including boxing legend Muhammad Ali, Nicole Kidman and Victoria Beckham, is expected to make a full recovery and tells UK newspaper The Sun he has vowed to continue working through his treatment. Sir Michael Parkinson at Wimbledon after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Photo: Getty Images "I have prostate cancer and I must admit it is a real bore. I am 78, of course mortality is on the mind but I'm not afraid," Sir Michael says. Advertisement "I have been told to expect to make a full recovery and that is the goal... I don't feel ill and I will keep working. I have no intention of stopping working." The veteran TV star is now launching a campaign to raise awareness of prostate cancer. Original post: 'Take notice': Parkinson diagnosed with prostate … Continue reading →

Video will begin in 5 seconds. British broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson vows to continue working despite being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Revered British broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The talk show legend, 78, began radiotherapy treatment last week after the cancer was discovered during a routine medical examination, and he is urging other men to have regular check-ups. Parkinson, who has interviewed stars including boxing legend Muhammad Ali, Nicole Kidman and Victoria Beckham, is expected to make a full recovery and tells UK newspaper The Sun he has vowed to continue working through his treatment. Sir Michael Parkinson at Wimbledon after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Photo: Getty Images "I have prostate cancer and I must admit it is a real bore. I am 78, of course mortality is on the mind but I'm not afraid," Sir Michael says. Advertisement "I have been told to expect to make a full recovery and that is the goal... I don't feel ill and I will keep working. I have no intention of stopping working." The veteran TV star is now launching a campaign to raise awareness of prostate cancer. Read this article: Parkinson diagnosed with cancer … Continue reading →

Sir Michael Parkinson, the legendary British chat show host who has championed countless musicians, has prostate cancer. The 78-year-old broadcaster, who is affectionately known in his homeland as Parky, was diagnosed with the disease in May following a routine health check last year. Parkinson is undergoing radiotherapy and hes confident of beating the disease. "When you are told you have something like cancer, it is a shock. But the cancer specialist said: 'I will assure you, you will not die of this.' "I am concerned about it, of course, he says, but I am not frightened of it." For 25 years, Parkinsons talk show was a "must-see" staple on British TV and its seemingly endless conveyor belt of top celebrities ensured high-ratings. Over time, hes interviewed almost every big name in the music biz, from members of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Tina Turner and Robbie Williams. In 1998, Parkinson became a Gold Badge recipient an award that pays tribute to people judged to have made a special and lasting contribution to the U.K.'s entertainment industry. Parkinson was awarded the CBE for services to broadcasting in 2000. And in 2005, he was honored with the Music Industry … Continue reading →

LONDON, July 7 (UPI) -- Sir Michael Parkinson, the veteran broadcaster and former chat show host, said Sunday he has prostate cancer and is undergoing treatment. Parkinson, 78, said he was diagnosed in May after a routine checkup. He is receiving radiotherapy treatments and expects to make a full recovery, the BBC said. "It was a great shock, but I have been told to expect to make a full recovery," he said. He said he has not felt any pain or discomfort from the treatment. Parkinson, known as Parky to his fans, also urged men to pay more attention to their health . "I don't want to trivialize it, but men know when there's a problem. I have been lucky, but men are silly about their health. Get it checked out -- it might be something else." During Parkinson's 50-year career, he interviewed high-profile guests like Muhammad Ali and Sir Elton John. He retired in 2007. See more here: Parkinson reveals his cancer diagnosis … Continue reading →

July 5, 2013 Cody Paty, a physical therapist at Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital talked about the hospital's recent treatment program offered for those who suffer from Parkinson's disease at the recent Lunch and Learn Seminar. (Photo by Melissa Winslow) The recent Lunch and Learn Seminar at Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital (RPMH), held last Thursday, discussed the hospital's recent treatment program offered for those who suffer from Parkinson's disease, a program called LSVT-BIG. Presented by Cody Paty, a physical therapist at RPMH, the first part of the program offered some background information on the disease. Each year, anywhere from 50,000 to 60,000 new cases of Parkinson's disease are discovered. It affects one million people in the United States, while 4 to 6 million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's disease. In 2005, around 340,000 cases were reported. Since that time, the number has doubled. Within the general population, there are 11 Parkinson's disease cases for every 100,000 people. Paty explained that a person's genetic makeup predisposes them to the disease. He made the reference that while the genes are like a loaded gun with Parkinson's disease, a person's environment and other factors will pull the trigger to release the ailment. The new … Continue reading →

Public release date: 3-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Kim Menard kim.menard@uphs.upenn.edu 215-662-6183 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine PHILADELPHIA - Neurodegenerative diseases are not all alike. Two individuals suffering from the same disease may experience very different age of onset, symptoms, severity, and constellation of impairments, as well as different rates of disease progression. Researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have shown one disease protein can morph into different strains and promote misfolding of other disease proteins commonly found in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other related neurodegenerative diseases. Virginia M.Y. Lee, PhD, MBA, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, with co-director, John Q. Trojanowski MD, PhD, postdoctoral fellow Jing L. Guo, PhD, and colleagues, discovered that alpha-synuclein, a protein that forms sticky clumps in the neurons of Parkinson's disease patients, can exist in at least two different structural shapes, or "strains," when it clumps into fibrils, despite having precisely the same chemical composition. These two strains differ in their ability to promote fibril formation of normal alpha-synuclein, as well as the protein tau, which forms neurofibrillary tangles in individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Importantly, … Continue reading →

NEW HAVEN >> Can you tell the difference between the scents of motor oil, pumpkin pie, rose and lemon? If not, and if you're over 60 years old, you may be at risk of developing Parkinson's disease. And you could be a candidate for a study sponsored by the Michael J. Fox Foundation seeking ways to detect the disease before symptoms develop. Those are known as biomarkers, and whether losing the sense of smell is a biomarker is the purpose of the study, which is being conducted at 24 sites in Europe and Australia as well as the United States; the main site is the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders at 60 Temple St. What Dr. David Russell, IND's clinical research director, and others are looking for is an "objective measure of presence of the disease and its progress to identify ... the disease very early, before you can see symptoms," Russell said. There are medications to lessen the symptoms, which many people know from seeing Fox, star of "Back to the Future" and "Family Ties," in his TV appearances. He was diagnosed in 1991. Parkinson's is a neurological disorder that affects muscle movement because of a loss of dopamine in … Continue reading →

Washington, June 29 (ANI): A team of researchers from Rush University, Yale University, the University of Colorado and the St. Kitts Biomedical Research Foundation transplanted human embryonic stem cells into primate laboratory animals modeled with Parkinson's disease and found "robust survival" of the cells after six weeks and indications that the cells were "well integrated" into the host animals. "Parkinson's disease was one of the first neurological disorders to be studied for potential replacement of lost neurons," Dr. D. Eugene Redmond of Yale University School of Medicine, said. "Since the 1970s there has been significant progress with learning the required gene expression, growth factors and culture conditions for differentiating cells into apparent dopamine neurons," he said. However, the researchers noted that transplanted dopamine neurons have not produced "long-lasting midbrain specific neurons when transplanted into rodents or monkeys" and there have only been pilot reports of functional improvement. According to the study authors, their study tested the long-term survival and functional benefit of apparent dopamine neurons in monkeys modeled with Parkinson's disease. As with other studies, their results found that the gene expression of the rate limiting synthetic enzyme for dopamine production, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), was "transient" after transplantation, raising questions … Continue reading →