Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

HAYWARD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Impax Pharmaceuticals, the branded products division of Impax Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPXL - News) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing the Company’s New Drug Application (NDA) for IPX066 for the treatment of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) submitted to the Agency on December 21, 2011. IPX066 is a patented extended release capsule formulation of carbidopa-levodopa (CD-LD). The Prescription Drug User Fee Date (PDUFA) for a decision by the FDA is October 21, 2012. IPX066 has been licensed to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for countries outside the U.S. and Taiwan for development and marketing. IPX066 has undergone extensive clinical development, including multiple studies in early and advanced PD in the U.S. and in Europe. The NDA included data from three controlled Phase III studies and two open label extensions of IPX066 in both early and advanced PD. IPX066 has been investigated in more than 1,000 subjects. About IPX066 IPX066 is an investigational extended release capsule formulation of CD-LD which is intended to maintain consistent plasma concentration of levodopa for a longer duration versus immediate release levodopa, which may have an impact on fluctuations in clinical response. It is not approved or licensed anywhere … Continue reading →

AMARILLO -- Being able to move or even communicate clearly can be close to impossible for many Parkinson's Disease patients. An Amarillo man has made a huge improvement on both fronts thanks to a fairly new treatment. "Parkinson's is predominately a disease of movement. What it does is it makes people lose the ability to do certain movements such as your regular walking, talking, to a degree, as well as tremors and balance," Dr. Douglas Lewis, a local neurologist said. Lewis prescribes a program that helps patients regain those motor skills.  It's called Big and Loud. Ron Smith, 74, is one of Lewis' patients who participates. "I think it help. It's helped me," Smith said. He's graduated from the 'big' portion, but still does the exercises everyday. They're a series of exaggerated movements designed to target the muscles people affected by Parkinson's usually lose. "He had been shuffling, which is common symptoms of Parkinson's, just a shuffling gait and kind of stooping over and just not well balanced at all. I was just constantly worried about him falling and just after a few session with the physical therapist thing improved tremendously," Smith's wife, Judi, said. "Ron has done very well. … Continue reading →

SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwire -02/22/12)- Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. (OTC.BB: AMBS.OB - News), a biotechnology company developing MANF, a first-in-class disease-modifying therapeutic protein being developed for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease, will present preclinical data on MANF at the 14th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Experimental Neurotherapeutics (ASENT) Conference at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C. during the Pipeline session on Friday, February 24th, 2012 at 2:15pm ET. A presentation titled, "MANF: A Bi-functional Protein with Multiple Therapeutic Indications is Neuroprotective and is Upregulated in the Unfolded Protein Response," will be given by John W. Commissiong, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Amarantus. MANF is the company's lead drug candidate, and is one of the first potential drug candidates to be rationally discovered from an increased understanding of astrocyte-neuron biology. MANF is a novel 18 kDa, astrocyte-derived, secreted protein, with well-defined N- and C-terminal domains separated by a linker region. Prior published studies have synthesized the C-terminal domain of MANF and demonstrated that it is anti-apoptotic. Parkinson's disease is caused, in part, by apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra in the brain. "The data that will be presented demonstrate that MANF may be important in the treatment of multiple … Continue reading →

Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012 KYOTO — Researchers have succeeded in improving the treatment of Parkinson's disease by using human embryonic stem cells to create nerve cells that produce dopamine and then transplanting the cells into monkeys' brains. Four monkeys with Parkinson's disease — and previously unable to walk due to their symptoms — improved substantially after the human nerve cells were transplanted into their brains, reducing the shaking in their limbs and leading to some regaining the ability to walk, the research team, including Kyoto University professor Jun Takahashi, said Tuesday. It is the first time pluripotent human embryonic stem cells have been successfully transplanted to improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease in monkeys, according to the team. Parkinson's disease is linked to drops in the production of dopamine — a neurotransmitter in the brain. While there are drugs to treat the progressive neurological illness, there is currently no treatment to stop dopamine levels from falling. In the study, the researchers transplanted nerve cells derived from the human stem cells into the four monkeys' brains. About three months later, all of them began to show improvements in their symptoms and tests conducted a year after the operation confirmed the nerve cells … Continue reading →

Editor's Choice Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Article Date: 20 Feb 2012 - 9:00 PST email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions   Current Article Ratings: Patient / Public: 5 (5 votes) Healthcare Prof: For over two decades, Daniel Corcos has researched Parkinson's disease. During his studies he spent the majority of the past decade focusing on the effects of exercise. Corcos, a professor of kinesiology and nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago, explained: "It became obvious several years ago that exercise really was good for people with Parkinson's disease. Not only is it good for the heart, the brain, and muscles in the same way it is for healthy people, it also modifies signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease." At present, Corcos is co-leading a study funded by a four-year, $3 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders. The aim of the study is to assess the benefits of aerobic exercise in controlling symptoms in individuals recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. At the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in April, 2012, Corcos will present findings from the study. Results from the study show that 2 years of weight training can considerably … Continue reading →

Public release date: 21-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Elizabeth K. Gardner ekgardner@purdue.edu 765-494-2081 Purdue University WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University researchers revealed how a mutation in a protein shuts down a protective function needed to prevent the death of neurons in Parkinson's disease, possibly opening the door to new drug strategies to treat the disorder. Fred Regnier, the J.H. Law Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and Jean-Christophe Rochet, an associate professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology, led the team that discovered how the protein DJ-1, which plays a significant role in protecting neurons from damage, is shut down by a subtle mutation. A substitution in one link of the chain of amino acids that makes up the protein renders it unable to be activated to protect neurons from the build up of protein "aggregates," or "clumps," that lead to cell death in those with Parkinson's disease. "The saying that you are only as strong as your weakest link appears to hold true in the case of the chain of amino acids that make up a protein," Regnier said. "The magnitude of the effect of this subtle change is surprising. It can make the difference between having … Continue reading →

To: HEALTH AND NATIONAL EDITORS New campaign to improve hospital care for over 1 million people with Parkinson's disease; Emerging data shows hospitalization puts Parkinson's patients at great risk MIAMI, Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) announced the launch of the Aware in Care campaign today, the first-ever, nationwide initiative to address the growing problem of poor hospital care for over one million people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Aware in Care features a free kit for PD patients and caregivers to help make hospital stays safer. NPF, its Centers of Excellence at leading medical institutions, and local chapters urge patients and caregivers to know the steps to take to ensure that people with PD get the best possible care during hospital stays. "Our research scientists have unearthed important factors which can lower the risk of illness, serious complications and even death of hospitalized Parkinson's patients," said Michael S. Okun, MD, NPF's National Medical Director. "For my patients, and for the up to one million people suffering from Parkinson's in the U.S., Aware in Care will improve the type of attention and treatment they get in hospitals." Emerging data shows that 75% of hospitalized patients with PD … Continue reading →

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) – Promising new work in the field of exercise may help some Parkinson's patients regain some lost control of their motor skills. A new study has found that weight training for two years may improve the motor symptoms of those who live with Parkinson 's disease. "Slowing this progression or altering the progression is really the single greatest unmet medical need in Parkinson's. And to date, there haven't been any positive pharmacological interventions or surgical interventions that have been effective in slowing disease progression." said Dr. Jay Alberts of the Cleveland Clinic. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago found separated 48 patients into two groups. One group did weight training, while the other used flexibility, balance and strengthening exercises to manage the disease. The results of the study show that both forms of exercise reduced motor symptoms after 6 months, but those in the weight training group seemed to slow the progression of the disease even after two years. Researchers say that weight training could be an important component in managing Parkinson's disease, and Dr. Alberts believes it also empowers the patient: "Rather than being a passive recipient to medication or even a surgical procedure, … Continue reading →

Newswise — Daniel Corcos has studied Parkinson's disease for more than 20 years. For most of the past 10, he has focused on the effects of exercise. "It became obvious several years ago that exercise really was good for people with Parkinson's disease," said Corcos, who is professor of kinesiology and nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "Not only is it good for the heart, the brain, and muscles in the same way it is for healthy people, it also modifies signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease." Now as a co-principal investigator of a four-year, $3 million National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke grant, he will try to quantify the benefits of aerobic exercise in managing symptoms in persons with recently diagnosed Parkinson's disease. At this April's annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Corcos will report the finding that two years of weight training can significantly and progressively improve motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease as compared to alternatives such as stretching and balancing. Those exercises produced no improvements after six months. The results suggest that long-term weight training could be considered as an important component in managing Parkinson's disease, he said. In the planned study … Continue reading →

THURSDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to helping Parkinson's disease patients retain vital motor function, weight training may be more effective than stretching or balance exercises, a new study concludes. The findings "reconfirm our notions that exercise plays an important part in the treatment of Parkinson's disease," according to one outside expert, Dr. Nora Chan, director of the Movement Disorder Program at Winthrop-University Hospital, in Mineola, N.Y. The research involved 48 people with Parkinson's who were randomly assigned to either a weight-training program or a workout routine that included flexibility, balance and strengthening routines. Both groups exercised for one hour, twice a week for two years. The severity of the patients' motor symptoms, including tremors, was assessed after six, 12, 18, and 24 months of exercise. The symptoms were checked when the patients were not taking their medication. Both groups showed improvements in motor symptoms at six months. But patients in the weight-training group had a 7.3 point improvement in their Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale after two years, while the patients in the other group returned to the same scores they had at the start of the study. The findings are being released early but will … Continue reading →