April 19, 2016
Researchers at the
John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford are hoping a statin, commonly used to lower
cholesterol, could slow or even stop Parkinson’s disease in its tracks.
The PD STAT study,
which has just launched at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,
will test whether simvastatin has the potential to protect nerve cells in the
brain from injury or loss. Widely prescribed to lower cholesterol and prevent
heart problems, simvastatin could also slow down or halt the progression of
Parkinson’s disease.
The news comes as
people around Oxfordshire come together for Parkinson’s Awareness Week from
18-24 April.
The study is supported
by the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network: Thames
Valley and South Midlands, the local research delivery arm of the NHS.
There is no cure, and
there have been few innovations, in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease over
the past 40 years. For the 127,000 people living with the condition in the UK,
results of this trial could provide a welcome boost to the range of treatments
available to them.
Parkinson’s disease is
a progressive neurological condition that affects movement and speech. At
present there is no cure and little understanding as to why some people develop
the condition. One in 500 people in the UK currently have Parkinson’s
disease. Worldwide, it is estimated that 10-20 million people are living
with the disease and this number is expected to double by 2030. Many of these
cases are undiagnosed and untreated. [1]
Dr Sudhir Singh is a
Geratology consultant at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and leads the
study locally. He said: “A key process in Parkinson’s disease seems to be
triggered when a protein called alpha-synuclein forms sticky clumps, causing
problems inside nerve cells, eventually leading to their death. The effects of
simvastatin on this alpha-synuclein clumping (drawn from results of a recent
study with multiple sclerosis patients) suggest that it could be an effective
treatment to slow down the progression of Parkinson’s. In addition,
simvastatin’s proven safety profile gives it a head start in the race to find
more and better treatments for Parkinson’s.”
PD STAT is recruiting
people with Parkinson’s disease who have never taken a statin before.
The study is being led
by Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, with the
support of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research
Network, the part of the NHS which supports research delivery. It is sponsored
by Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust and funded by The Cure Parkinson’s Trust and
the JP Moulton Charitable Foundation.
Dr Jon Stamford,
Director and co-founder of Parkinson’s Movement, an initiative of The Cure
Parkinson’s Trust, is a neuroscientist living with Parkinson’s disease. He
said: “This is a hugely important trial involving more than 20 centres in the
country. Whereas Parkinson’s can be treated symptomatically, there is little or
nothing available that can slow down the progression of the illness. Early
clinical data with simvastatin offers the possibility that this may soon be a
possibility.”
For further press
information or interviews contact:
NIHR Clinical Research
Network: Thames Valley and South Midlands
Communications and
Engagement Team
Tel: (01865) 226627
About the PD STAT study
Please visit the study website: https://penctu.psmd.plymouth.ac.uk/pdstat/
https://www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/news/statin-could-boost-treatments-for-people-with-parkinsons-disease-oxford/?h=41
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