Researchers announce promising results for Parkinson’s patients – KETV Omaha

OMAHA, Neb.

People taking part in clinical trials for a new drug to treat Parkinson's disease are showing signs of motor skill improvement, researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center said.

"You never know when you're going to come down with something. You have to stand up and say, 'I have to beat this,'" Tim Hoffman, 66, said.

Hoffman has lived in the grip of Parkinson's for more than a decade. But a new breakthrough drug, announced Thursday by UNMC researchers could change that.

"The goal of the medication and what we saw in this study is to help patients with Parkinson's disease to function better," Dr. Pamela Santamaria of Neurology Consultants of Nebraska said.

The drug is called Sargramostim. It treats the causes of the disease instead of only the symptoms.

"Our research has shown how we can give a patient a medication that can help change their immune system, and therefore affect the total progression and the outcome of the Parkinson's disease," Santamaria said.

Hoffman was one of the patients who took part in the clinical study.He received daily treatment injections for two months and said he's started to see a positive change.

"I felt better and I had more flexibility in my activities," Hoffman said.

Doctors said the next step in research will be to study how to make the drug into a pill so that it will be widely accessible.

"Our ultimate goal is to have this drug or a drug similar to it become FDA approved so then it would be available for all patients with Parkinson's disease (globally)," Santamaria said.

The results of the study also showed improvement in patients with neurodegenerative disorders including Azheimer's disease and strokes. There is no timetable on when the drug could become widely available for use.

WEBVTT UNMC WITH MOREON WHAT TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENTMEANS.SEAN: ALEXANDRA, DAVID 20 YEARSOF RESEARCH AND CLINICAL STUDYLEAD UP TO THE ANNOUNCEMENTTODAY.THIS NEW DRUG WON'T JUST MASKTHE PROBLEMS PEOPLE WITHPARKINSON'S FACE, BUT HELP TOCORRECT THE UNDERLYING CAUSES.>> YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU'REGOING TO COME DOWN WITHSOMETHING.YOU HAVE TO STAND UP AND SAY IHAVE TO BE THIS.SEAN: TIM HOFFMAN'S LIVED IN THEGRIPS OF PARKINSONS FOR MORETHAN A DECADE.BUT A NEW BREAKTHROUGH DRUG,ANNOUNCED TODAY BY UNMCRESEARCHERS, COULD CHANGE THAT.>> THE GOAL OF THE MEDICATIONAND WHAT WE SAW IN THIS STUDY ISTO HELP PATIENTS WITHPARKINSON'S DISEASE TO FUNCTIONBETTER.SEAN: THE DRUG IS CALLEDSARGRAMOSTIM. TREATING THE CAUSES OF THEDISEASE INSTEAD OF JUST TREATINGTHE SYMPTOMS. >> OUR RESEARCH HAS SHOWN HOW WECAN GIVE A PATIENT A MEDICATIONTHAT CAN HELP CHANGE THEIRIMMUNE SYSTEM, AND THEREFOREAFFECT THE TOTAL PROGRESSION ANDTHE OUTCOME OF THE PARKINSON'SDISEASE.SEAN: HOFFMAN IS ONE OF THEPATIENTS, TAKING PART IN THECLINICAL STUDY.HE SAYS HE'S STARTING TO SEE APOSITIVE CHANGE.>> I FELT BETTER AND I HAD MOREFLEXIBILITY IN MY ACTIVITIES.SEAN: DOCTORS SAY THE NEXT STEPIN RESEARCH WILL BE TO STUDY HOWTO MAKE THE DRUG INTO A PILL SO THAT IT WILL BE WIDELYACCESSIBLE.>> OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO HAVETHIS DRUG OR A DRUG SIMILAR TOIT BECOME FDA APPROVED SO THENIT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR ALLPATIENTS WITH PARKINSON'SDISEASE GLOBAL WIDE.SEAN: THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDYALSO SHOWS IMPROVEMENT FORNEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS LIALZHEIMER'S AND STROKES.THERE IS NO TIMETABLE ON WHENTHE DRUG COULD BECOME READILYAVAILABLE FOR USE.

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