Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

Research highlights include data from Addex` programs in Alzheimer`s, Parkinson`s, psychiatry indications and post-traumatic stress disorder Geneva, Switzerland, 11 October 2012 - Addex Therapeutics (ADXN.SW), a leading company pioneering allosteric modulation-based drug discovery and development, announced today the company will present data from three of its innovative allosteric modulation programs targeting G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) at the Society for Neuroscience 2012 meeting next week (October 13-17). The programs that will be showcased at the meeting include: ADX92639: a potent and selective negative allosteric modulator (NAM) of metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) that has the potential to treat a number of diseases, including improving cognition and Alzheimer`s disease. In an oral presentation at the conference, data demonstrating ADX92639-mediated improvement in recognition memory in validated rodent models of Alzheimer`s disease will be discussed. The selectivity of ADX92639 for mGluR2 differentiates the compound from other approaches targeting this important receptor. Dipraglurant: a clinical stage potent oral small molecule NAM targeting mGluR5 that has the potential to treat a variety of indications, including Parkinson`s disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia (PD-LID), dystonia, anxiety, and depression. Data will be presented in two poster sessions, one on the translational value of the MPTP non-human primate model of PD-LID to … Continue reading →

Editor's Choice Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials Article Date: 08 Oct 2012 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for: Phase I Trial Of NTCELL In Parkinson's Disease Authorized In New Zealand The company says it is on track to start its first in-human trials in the first quarter of 2013. The Phase I open label investigation on the safety and efficacy of NTCELL in patients with Parkinson's disease will last 60 weeks and will include only those who were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) at least four years ago. In the Trial, Auckland Island pigs' choroid plexus cells will be transplanted into the patient's brains. Choroid plexus cells are naturally-occurring support cells of the brain. When they are transplanted into Parkinson's disease patients they help protect the brain from nerve tissue damage. Choroid plexus cells also help repair damaged nerve tissue. In order to prevent the immune system from rejecting them, the cells will be encapsulated with IMMUPEL. Trial participants will either receive current gold standard of treatment for their symptoms (deep brain stimulation) or NTCELL treatment. The trial will be led by Dr Barry Snow (MBChB, FRACP, FRCPC), an internationally recognized Parkinson's disease … Continue reading →

NOKOMIS, Fla. And SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rainbow Coral Corp. (RBCC) biotech subsidiary Rainbow BioSciences and Amarantus Biosciences (AMBS) have moved into the final stages of the terms for a deal. The pending joint venture agreement will see the two entities working together to move the Amarantus NuroPro Parkinsons diagnostic platform towards commercialization. This is a cutting edge approach to diagnosing a debilitating disease that has afflicted millions of people worldwide, said RBCC CEO Patrick Brown. The marketplace is crying out for new breakthroughs in the diagnosis of neurological diseases, and we believe NuroPro has the potential to diagnose Parkinsons disease early allowing physicians to initiate treatment regimens earlier, as well as conduct research of clinical-stage disease-modifying treatments on earlier-stage patients. The deal is being structured to enable completion of the final stages of the NuroPro program, resulting in a commercially viable product to be introduced to the market place. NuroPro is being developed for the diagnosis of Parkinsons disease. The NuroPro test works by identifying differentiated levels proteins and peptides in the blood of patients who have Parkinsons disease, versus those who do not. NuroPro has completed a Phase 1 human clinical trial. The companies expect to initiate Phase 2 … Continue reading →

AMSTERDAM, October 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Launch helps mark the voluntary organisation's 20thanniversary celebrations in Amsterdam The European Parkinson's Disease Association (EPDA) has launched the third and final booklet in its Life with Parkinson's series. This latest edition concludes a four-year awareness campaign, which aims to highlight the lack of understanding and knowledge concerning Parkinson's that exists throughout Europe today. The booklet's launch, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, was one of the many activities in a weekend dedicated to celebrating the organisation's 20th anniversary year and its commitment to improving the lives of people with Parkinson's (PwPs). To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56619-epda-launches-life-with-parkinsons-booklet The Life with Parkinson's awareness campaign began in 2008 and the accompanying booklet series has since achieved Europe-wide acclaim from the Parkinson's community, with people living with the disease and healthcare professionals praising the EPDA for its work. "We say that our condition and feelings are impossible to communicate, but this booklet persuaded me that there is a way to share our situation with others," said Bohumila indelov, a PwP from the Czech Republic. "I have to praise all the booklets," added Olga Bandelj, a PwP from Slovenia. "They are very useful. I use them … Continue reading →

Washington, October 6 (ANI): Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) investigators have conducted the first genome-wide evaluation of genetic variants associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). The study points to the involvement of specific genes and alterations in their expression as influencing the risk for developing PD. Jeanne Latourelle, DSc, assistant professor of neurology at BUSM, served as the study's lead author and Richard H. Myers, PhD, professor of neurology at BUSM, served as the study's principal investigator and senior author. A recent paper by the PD Genome Wide Association Study Consortium (PDGC) confirmed that an increased risk for PD was seen in individuals with genetic variants in or near the genes SNCA, MAPT, GAK/DGKQ, HLA and RIT2, but the mechanism behind the increased risk was not determined. "One possible effect of the variants would be to change the manner in which a gene is expressed in the brains, leading to increased risk of PD," said Latourelle. To investigate the theory, the researchers examined the relationship between PD-associated genetic variants and levels of gene expression in brain samples from the frontal cortex of 26 samples with known PD and 24 neurologically healthy control samples. Gene expression was determined using a microarray … Continue reading →

Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy Article Date: 05 Oct 2012 - 4:00 PDT Current ratings for: Parkinson's Patients Benefit From Physical Therapy 3.6 (5 votes) In the USA, the term is Physical Therapy. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australasia people say Physiotherapy. Parkinson's disease management has traditionally been centered on drug therapy. Recently, however, doctors have been progressively embracing rehabilitation therapies, including physical therapy as a supplement to medications and neurosurgical treatment. Dr Claire Tomlinson and team set out to determine what effect rehabilitation therapies might have on patients with Parkinson's disease. They gathered data from 39 randomized trials involving 1,827 people. Within those studies they assessed a wide range of physical therapy methods that were used to treat patients, including dance, treadmill training, exercises and physical therapy. The researchers assessed 18 physical therapy outcomes, which showed clear improvements in nine areas. They detected three especially positive outcomes from physical therapy treatment in the following areas: Parkinson's patients demonstrated that they were able to walk faster or maintain their balance more effectively, and without intervention, after undergoing physical therapy sessions. Dr Tomlinson, said: Continued here: Parkinson's Patients Benefit From … Continue reading →

Pig cells will be transplanted into the brains of New Zealanders with Parkinson's disease as part of an experimental treatment of the neurological disorder. Kiwi scientists will undertake the clinical trial after Living Cell Technologies, which has its research and development based in this country, got the go-ahead to test the treatment in humans next year. Government approval was given this week for the trial. 'Receiving regulatory approval to conduct clinical trials is a critical step in developing a treatment for this debilitating condition,' said the company's chief executive Andrea Grant said in a statement. She says pre-clinical trials suggest the treatment, known as NTCELL, can protect brain tissue which would otherwise die, potentially delaying or preventing the effects of Parkinson's. Only those who have been diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease for at least four years will be part of the study, which will last for up to 60 weeks. The trial will involve patients getting either the pig cells or the current gold standard of treatment - deep brain stimulation. The leader of Auckland District Health Board's movement disorder clinic, Barry Snow, will oversee the trial. 'This represents an exciting new potential option for patients,' Dr Snow said. Pre-clinical … Continue reading →

Pig cells will be transplanted into the brains of New Zealanders with Parkinson's disease as part of an experimental treatment of the neurological disorder. Kiwi scientists will undertake the clinical trial after Living Cell Technologies, which has its research and development based in this country, got the go-ahead to test the treatment in humans next year. Government approval was given this week for the trial. "Receiving regulatory approval to conduct clinical trials is a critical step in developing a treatment for this debilitating condition," said the company's chief executive Andrea Grant said in a statement. She says pre-clinical trials suggest the treatment, known as NTCELL, can protect brain tissue which would otherwise die, potentially delaying or preventing the effects of Parkinson's. Only those who have been diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease for at least four years will be part of the study, which will last for up to 60 weeks. The trial will involve patients getting either the pig cells or the current gold standard of treatment - deep brain stimulation. The leader of Auckland District Health Board's movement disorder clinic, Barry Snow, will oversee the trial. "This represents an exciting new potential option for patients," Dr Snow said. Pre-clinical … Continue reading →

Pig cells will be transplanted into the brains of New Zealanders with Parkinson's disease as part of an experimental treatment of the neurological disorder. Kiwi scientists will undertake the clinical trial after Living Cell Technologies, which has its research and development based in this country, got the go-ahead to test the treatment in humans next year. Government approval was given this week for the trial. "Receiving regulatory approval to conduct clinical trials is a critical step in developing a treatment for this debilitating condition," said the company's chief executive Andrea Grant said in a statement. She says pre-clinical trials suggest the treatment, known as NTCELL, can protect brain tissue which would otherwise die, potentially delaying or preventing the effects of Parkinson's. Only those who have been diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease for at least four years will be part of the study, which will last for up to 60 weeks. The trial will involve patients getting either the pig cells or the current gold standard of treatment - deep brain stimulation. The leader of Auckland District Health Board's movement disorder clinic, Barry Snow, will oversee the trial. "This represents an exciting new potential option for patients," Dr Snow said. Pre-clinical … Continue reading →

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. (AMBS), a biotechnology company developing new treatments for brain-related disorders including Parkinson's disease and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) centered on its unique proprietary anti-apoptotic therapeutic protein known as MANF, today announced the commitment by former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl linebacker E.J. Henderson to support the further development of Amarantus' TBI research collaboration with Banyan Biomarkers. Mr. Henderson will be working alongside NFL veterans Jack Brewer and Corey Chavous to raise awareness and broaden the support base for the Amarantus-Banyan research collaboration by utilizing the Coalition for Concussion Treatment (#C4CT) awareness campaign on Twitter, led by Brewer Sports International. "Concussions and their long-term side effects are a huge problem for NFL players and alumni," said Mr. Henderson. "I have been following Amarantus since they announced their collaboration with Banyan last November, and I was impressed with the initial success achieved this summer. As a result, I've decided to become actively involved with Amarantus in order to help bring their research to the forefront in the mainstream media. I believe these types of advances in scientific research can ultimately help current NFL players and NFL alumni who are at an unusually high … Continue reading →