Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

VIENNA, June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The worldwide first clinical trial for the development of a Parkinson's vaccine has now been started by AFFiRiS AG. The vaccine called PD01A is directed against alpha-Synuclein, a protein considered causing the onset and progression of the disease, and is currently being tested on Parkinson's patients in a Phase I trial. The vaccine holds out the prospect to deliver a causative treatment of Parkinson's for the first time. Its potential for success prompted the US-American Michael J. Fox Foundation to generously support the development of PD01A financially. Taking place in Vienna and involving up to 32 patients, the primary endpoints of the trial are safety and tolerability of PD01A. AFFiRiS AG announced today the start of the Phase I study of its Parkinson's vaccine candidate PD01A. This vaccine represents the first agent worldwide aiming at disease modification of Parkinson's rather than addressing symptomatic improvement only. PD01A targets a protein called alpha-Synuclein (alpha-syn) which plays a key role in the onset and progression of Parkinson's. The vaccination aims to educate the immune system to generate antibodies directed against alpha-syn. The trial will be conducted at the Confraternitt Privatklinik Josefstadt in Vienna and will involve up … Continue reading →

Newswise Because there is currently no laboratory test that can diagnose Parkinsons disease, it is practically impossible to detect those individuals who are in the earliest stages of the disease. As a result, Parkinsons disease can only be diagnosed by a clinical neurological examination based on findings suggestive of the disease. But researchers from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Faculty of Medicine have now identified a biomarker comprised of five genes shown to predict Parkinson's disease with high accuracy. The findings are reported in a research article now published online by the scientific journal Molecular Neurodegeneration. A predictive biomarker for Parkinson's disease could also help to identify high-risk individuals before symptoms develop a stage where prevention treatment efforts might be expected to have their greatest impact to slow disease progression, says lead researcher Dr. Silvia Mandel. It could allow diagnosis of carriers of the genetic risk factors, or those who may exhibit pre-symptomatic stages of the disease [depression, sleep disturbances or hyposmia (reduced ability to smell)] and are good candidates for neuroprotective treatment. All five genes that comprise the biomarker play a role in the ubiquitin-proteasome system of protein degradation, whose involvement in the pathology of Parkinson's disease has previously … Continue reading →

EMERYVILLE, Calif., June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held company, announced today that it will present an update on its Nurelin (amantadine HCl extended release capsules) program at the Cambridge Healthtech Institute's (CHI) Targeting Parkinson's Disease Symposium being held today in Philadelphia. Nurelin, a once-daily extended release formulation of amantadine intended for night-time administration, is being developed for the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Results from the Company's prior Phase 1 studies, its preclinical program in Parkinson's and other indications, along with a status report on the ongoing Phase 3 study, Extended Release Amantadine Safety and Efficacy Study in Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia (EASED), will be presented by Gregory T. Went, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Adamas. The talk is entitled, "Exploring the Potential of Modified Release Aminoadamantanes in Parkinson's Disease and Related Indications." "We are excited to introduce the Nurelin program at the conference today, and to provide an update on the previous preclinical and clinical studies that have led to our first Phase 2/3 study of Nurelin in Parkinson's patients who experience levodopa-induced dyskinesia," said Dr. Went. "Amantadine is a remarkable drug that has received little attention from the pharmaceutical … Continue reading →

JOHOR BAHARU, June 1 (Bernama) -- A Parkinson's disease patient suffered 70 per cent burns when his two-storey house at Jalan Keembung 33, Taman Johor Jaya, caught fire today. Yew Hua Seng, 60, was at home alone, while his wife, Lee Shu Siang, 42, and their three children had left for work, when the fire broke out at 7am. Lee, who worked at a foodstall nearby, rushed home when informed about the fire and managed to get her husband out of the burning house. head of the Johor Jaya fire and rescue station, Syed Nasir Syed Abu Bakar, said a fire-engine with seven firemen rushed to the scene after receiving a distress call about 7.15am The firemen arrived at the scene about 10 minutes later and prevented the fire from spreading to nearby houses, he added. He said Yew was then sent to Sultan Ismail Hospital for treatment. Johor Jaya Assemblyman Tan Cher Puk visited the victim and said the Johor Jaya MCA would look into ways to help the victim and his family. Continue reading here: Patient with parkinson disease suffers 70 per cent burns in house fire … Continue reading →

This multicentre, parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial was done in 13 movement disorders departments in France between October, 2009, and December, 2011. Eligible patients were younger than 80 years and had Parkinson's disease, severe gait disorders, and freezing of gate despite optimised treatment of motor fluctuations with dopaminergic drugs and subthalamic stimulation. We randomly assigned patients (1:1 with a computer random-number generator in blocks of four) to receive methylphenidate (1 mg/kg per day) or placebo capsules for 90 days. Patients, their carers, study staff, investigators, and data analysts were masked to treatment allocation. To control for confounding effects of levodopa we assessed patients under standardised conditions with an acute levodopa challenge. Our primary outcome was a change in the number of steps during the stand-walk-sit (SWS) test without levodopa. We compared the respective mean numbers of steps at day 90 in the methylphenidate and placebo groups in a covariance analysis and adjusted for baseline differences. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00914095. Excerpt from: Methylphenidate for gait hypokinesia and freezing in patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing subthalamic ... … Continue reading →

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A stem cell treatment investigated for Huntingtons disease holds out hope that scientists will someday be able to reverse damage caused by the degenerative brain disorder. The technique, which uses reprogrammed skin cells from a Huntingtons patient, successfully restored motor functions in rats, said Dr. Patrik Brundin, a Van Andel Institute researcher who was involved in the study. Its an interesting step, one weve been hoping for, he said. Its exciting. The technique also will be tested in treatments for Parkinsons disease, said Brundin, who came to VAI from Sweden in October to lead the institutes Parkinsons research. Scientists from Sweden, South Korea and the U.S. collaborated on the study, which was published online Monday in the journal Stem Cells. Brundin said researchers took stem cells derived from the skin of a patient with Huntingtons disease and converted them to brain cells or nerve cells in culture dishes in the lab. The cells were transplanted into the brains of rats that had an experimental form of Huntingtons, and the rats motor functions improved. The unique features of the (stem cell approach) means that the transplanted cells will be genetically identical to the patient, Jihwan Song, an … Continue reading →

It started with a twitching finger. When the involuntary movement spread to his arm and worsened, Ron Smith suspected something was wrong. His thoughts were confirmed several years ago when he was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. Smith, a Grand Haven resident, takes medication and had electrodes implanted in his brain to control his symptoms. His most recent form of treatment includes tandem biking through a program called Pedaling for Parkinsons. In the fall of 2011, the Tri-Cities Family YMCA, Generation Care and North Ottawa County Council on Aging formed a partnership. After hearing the benefits of tandem biking, the three organizations banded together to help community members battling the disease. Parkinsons is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Each year some 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease. Based on a research project, people with the disease who attended 40-minute sessions three times a week and biked revolution speeds of 80 rpm to 90 rpm often experienced better mobility, said Holly Lookabaugh-Deur, president of Generation Care. It provides a lot of different options because Parkinsons is such a progressive disease, she said. Some have mild tremors, and some are completely wheelchair-bound. I think we having something for everyone. … Continue reading →

When football legend Forrest Gregg opened the envelope, the last thing he expected was a love letter from Chicago. Aren't the Bears supposed to hate the Packers? "These are some of the nicest words I've ever read," thought Gregg, as he sat at home in Colorado Springs. The 78-year-old former offensive lineman needed a little encouragement after bad news from his family doctor. The diagnosis? Parkinson's disease, a nervous system disorder with symptoms that can range from tremors to unsteady balance and memory loss. At the bottom of the letter, there was a heartfelt wish, issued in the form of an order, "You can beat this darn thing." The message was signed by former Chicago Bears defender Ed O'Bradovich, who spent most of the 1960s trying to knock Gregg's block off. "Oh, did we battle," Gregg recalled with a laugh. "I never gave an inch. He never conceded an inch. And he never griped to the ref when I held him. But he would curse me." From 1956-71, Gregg never missed a game. If there has been a tougher man in NFL history, the late, great Vince Lombardi never met him. Lombardi insisted, "Forrest Gregg is the finest player I … Continue reading →

SAN DIEGO, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceregene Inc., a biotechnology company developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, will present new data demonstrating long-term, biologically-active expression of neurturin, a nervous system growth factor delivered to the degenerating dopamine nerves in patients with Parkinson's disease following treatment with CERE-120 (AAV2-neurturin). Raymond T. Bartus, Ph.D., Ceregene's chief scientific officer and executive vice president, was invited to give a presentation entitled "The Development of AAV2-neurturin (CERE-120) for Parkinson's Disease: A Review of the Challenges and Translation Issues Confronted During the Course of Establishing 'Clinical Proof of Concept,'" at the annual meeting of the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy during the Clinical Trials I Symposium on Thursday, May 17, 2012 in Philadelphia, PA. CERE-120 is a viral vector engineered to deliver the nervous system growth factor neurturin (NRTN), which has the ability to rejuvenate degenerating dopamine-producing neurons, restoring function and keeping them alive. NRTN has been shown to safely protect and restore damaged nigrostriatal nerves in animal models of Parkinson's disease and appears safe in humans tested in four Ceregene-sponsored clinical studies enrolling a total of 120 patients, 80 of whom were administered CERE-120. A previous double blind-controlled human … Continue reading →

By tracking eyeball movements, doctors may be able to determine if a patient is at higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a study led by a researcher at McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond. The study received wide notice in the Parkinson's disease community and is one example of the cutting-edge care and research available in the Veterans Affairs health care system. "We are looking at all sorts of patients with neurological disorders, not just Parkinson's disease," said George T. Gitchel, lead author on the study and a research specialist at McGuire's Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center. The Veterans Affairs health care system, often criticized for being cumbersome and difficult to navigate, has in recent years carved out areas of specialized care in response to veterans' health care needs. The Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center at McGuire is one of five such centers in the national VA system developed to treat patients suffering multiple traumatic injuries from blasts, such as those from explosives used in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other treatment areas getting more resources include mental health and neurology, chiefs of those units at McGuire VA said. The hospital, located on Broad Rock Boulevard … Continue reading →