New drug 'safe and effective' for Parkinson's psychosis

Current ratings for: New drug 'safe and effective' for Parkinson's psychosis

Ratings require JavaScript to be enabled.

Researchers say that a new non-dopaminergic drug called pimavanserin may be the first to offer safe and effective treatment for patients who experience psychotic symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease. This is according to a new study published in The Lancet.

According to the research team from the US and UK, of the 10 million people worldwide who have Parkinson's disease, more than 50% of them can experience psychosis, mainly in the form of hallucinations and delusions.

"Psychotic symptoms are common and distressing for people with Parkinson's and those caring for them," says Prof. Clive Ballard of King's College London and study leader.

"Psychosis is a major driving factor for people with Parkinson's disease being admitted to nursing homes and substantially increases the risk of dying. But no safe and effective drug therapies exist."

At present, Parkinson's patients who suffer with psychosis only have the choice of antipsychotic drugs - such as clozapine and quetiapine - as a form of treatment for psychosis. But Prof. Ballard says that these drugs may worsen motor symptoms of Parkinson's, speed up cognitive decline and can be life-threatening even with short-term use.

In their phase III trial, the researchers looked to pimavanserin as a potential new drug for psychosis that does not present the negative side effects associated with current antipsychotic medication.

The drug works by blocking serotonin 5-HT2A receptors in the neocortex of the brain. The neocortex is the area of the brain responsible for sensory perceptions, conscious thought and language, and the 5-HT2A receptors are linked to visual hallucinations and delusions, the researchers say.

To test the drug, the research team recruited 199 patients with Parkinson's disease who also experience psychosis. Patients were aged 40 years or older, and they were recruited from 54 medical centers across the US and Canada.

More here:
New drug 'safe and effective' for Parkinson's psychosis