NEURODERM POSTER SELECTED FOR BLUE RIBBON HIGHLIGHTS SESSION DURING 19TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND MOVEMENT DISORDERS ANNUAL MEETING

Clinical Data Presented Suggests That Stable Levodopa Plasma Levels 

Achieved in Parkinson's Disease (PD) Patients Following ND0612H

 Administration May Replace Surgery

/EIN News/ -- REHOVOT, Israel, June 18, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeuroDerm Ltd. (Nasdaq:NDRM), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing drugs for central nervous system (CNS) diseases, announced that its poster presentation, "Stable levodopa plasma levels with ND0612 (LD/CD for subcutaneous infusion) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with motor fluctuations," has been selected as part of the 19th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Blue Ribbon Highlights Session, which was held today in San Diego. Chosen by a panel of experts from nearly 1,500 poster presentations, the Blue Ribbon Session provides a critical review of the best poster presentations, highlighting relevance, novelty and quality of both clinical data and basic research, according to the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. The presentation had previously been accepted as a late-breaking poster.

"Being selected to the Blue Ribbon Highlights Session is an exceptional honor for NeuroDerm as it underscores peer acknowledgement that NeuroDerm's clinical results with its lead product candidates represent the best and most exciting work at this conference this year, and that NeuroDerm's product candidates may lead to future breakthroughs in the treatment of Parkinson's disease," said Oded Lieberman, PhD, MBA, CEO. "More importantly, the data presented at this meeting emphasizes NeuroDerm's potential to offer greatly improved future treatment options, including the prospect of an effective, non-surgical treatment alternative for advanced patients that currently face only limited, highly-invasive treatment options, condemning many of them to a debilitating and devastating life with Parkinson's disease."

Previously presented results demonstrated that NeuroDerm's subcutaneously administered LD/CD led to clinically-significant plasma levodopa levels that suggest that the high dose version, ND0612H, intended to maintain high, consistent and stable levodopa plasma levels in severe Parkinson's disease patients, may provide an effective therapeutic alternative in most patients to the current treatment options that require surgery. In this poster additional statistical analyses were presented that reinforce the marked reduction of fluctuations in levodopa plasma levels and enhance the good safety and tolerability profile.

The company also presented data from a previously presented Phase II study, "Pharmacokinetic profile of ND0612L (levodopa/carbidopa for subcutaneous infusion) in patients with moderate to severe Parkinson's disease," which also demonstrated that subcutaneous continuous delivery of LD/CD with ND0612L, the low dose version intended to treat moderate stage Parkinson's patients, provides relatively stable levodopa levels with reduced variability compared with orally administered levodopa. Patients treated with ND0612L consistently maintained their plasma LD concentration above a high minimum threshold, showed a lower peak-to-trough ratio and lower fluctuation index. Exploratory efficacy analysis showed that ND0612L treatment markedly reduced off time and markedly improved quality of life and quality of sleep.

About Levodopa

Oral administration of LD/CD is regarded as the "gold standard" treatment for patients suffering from Parkinson's disease. Levodopa crosses into the brain and converts into dopamine to complement the reduced brain-dopamine levels. Virtually all patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease will require levodopa at some point over the course of their treatment for the disease, and 70% to 80% of patients receive the drug at any given point in time. However, levodopa is limited by its short half-life. Approximately three to four hours after a single dose, almost none of the drug remains in the plasma. In addition, levodopa suffers from low absorption when administered orally, with only about 30% of the levodopa entering the blood stream.

ND0612H, ND0612L

ND0612H and ND0612L are designed to significantly reduce motor complications in Parkinson's disease patients through continuous, subcutaneous delivery of LD/CD, maintaining steady, therapeutic levodopa plasma concentrations both day and night.

About Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative illness characterized by reduced dopamine in the brain, resulting in a debilitating decrease in the patient's motor and non-motor functions. Its symptoms, such as trembling in the extremities and face, slowness of movement and impaired balance and coordination, worsen over time and gravely impact the patient's quality of life. As the disease progresses, these symptoms become more severe, resulting in debilitating periods of decreased motor and non-motor functions, also referred to as "off" time. In addition, mainly as a result of excessive/intermittent oral doses of levodopa aimed at treating the "off" time, some patients experience involuntary movements, or dyskinesia. The "off" time and dyskinesia affect the majority of Parkinson's disease patients and interfere with day-to-day functions, causing patients to become severely disabled. Continuous administration of levodopa has been shown to effectively treat motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease patients, however, a convenient route of continuous administration has not been introduced to date.

About NeuroDerm

NeuroDerm is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing central nervous system (CNS) product candidates that are designed to overcome major deficiencies of current treatments and achieve enhanced clinical efficacy through continuous, controlled administration. In Parkinson's disease, the company has four product candidates in different stages of development which offer a solution for almost every Parkinson's disease patient from the moderate to the very severe stage of the disease. The company has developed a line of LD/CD product candidates administered through small belt pumps that deliver a continuous, controlled dose of LD/CD. The LD/CD line of product candidates includes: ND0612L and ND0612H, delivered subcutaneously, for moderate and for advanced Parkinson's disease patients, respectively, and ND0680 for a subset of severe Parkinson's disease patients whose symptoms have advanced to a highly advanced stage, requiring even higher doses of LD/CD. In addition, NeuroDerm is developing ND0701, a novel subcutaneously delivered apomorphine formulation for patients who suffer from severe Parkinson's disease and who do not respond well to LD/CD. NeuroDerm is headquartered in the Weizmann Science Park in Rehovot, Israel.

NeuroDerm Contact: 

Oded S. Lieberman, PhD, MBA, CEO

oded@neuroderm.com

Tel: +972-8-946 2729

Cell: +1-617-517-6077

U.S. Investor Contact: 

David Carey

dcarey@lazarpartners.com

Tel: +212-867-1762

http://health.einnews.com/pr_news/271561126/neuroderm-poster-selected-for-blue-ribbon-highlights-session-during-19th-international-congress-of-parkinson-s-disease-and-movement-disorders-annual?n=2&code=ga_qGBxHZ2aVYO4P

Mayor's pigs help people with Parkinson's Disease

BARRY HARCOURT/FAIRFAX NZ

Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt surrounded by Auckland Island pigs.

BLAKE FODEN

Last updated 13:08, June 19 2015

A herd of pigs Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt helped save as part of a "nature project" in 1999 aren't flying yet, but they may be the answer to treating people with Parkinson's Disease.

Cells from Auckland Island pigs are being used in innovative new trials, which involve capsules of pig cells being implanted into the brains of people with well-established Parkinson's.

Four New Zealanders who took part in the first trial at Auckland City Hospital have reported positive results, biotechnology company Living Cell Technologies announced this week.

In 1999 the Department of Conservation wanted to cull the remaining Auckland Island pigs, whose cells are also being used in trials aimed at finding a cure for type-1 diabetes, but Living Cell Technologies stepped in, bringing 17 to Invercargill with Shadbolt's support.

The Ministry of Health banned pig cell transplants shortly after amid fears the animals could pass on a virus to humans, but trials involving the Auckland Island pigs, which are disease-free, were approved in 2008.

Shadbolt, who said he "was copping it from all over the place" when he used money from the mayor's contingency fund to pay for pig feed and keep the animals in Southland, said the investment was one of the best the city had ever made.

He admitted he had no idea of the pigs' medical value when he decided to help fund their survival - a decision that temporarily cost him the contingency fund - but it was "certainly very pleasing", he said.

"To be honest it started out as a bit of a nature project," he said.

"It's also created eight full-time jobs at the piggery, which is an incredibly well-run facility," he said.

"They play classical music and they've developed a line of pig toys to keep them entertained - it's like the Ritz of piggeries."

Parkinson's New Zealand acting chief executive and clinical leader Stephanie Clare said the organisation had kept a close eye on the groundbreaking trials.

"We are excited about the hope these results will bring to the 10,000 Kiwis living with Parkinson's," Clare said.

Living Cell Technologies communications manager Rachael Joel said LCT was already planning its next pig cell trials, which would involve up to 20 patients.

The treatments involved up to 10,000 capsules being taken from the Auckland Island pigs and inserted into up to 48 capsules, which were then implanted into the patient's brain.

The four patients who took part in the initial trial - all of whom were from the upper North Island - had experienced problems with traditional therapy.

The new treatment aims to stop or slow the loss of dopamine - the neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centres.

When dopamine levels fall, movements become slow and awkward.

There is no known cure for Parkinson's Disease.

http://health.einnews.com/article/271640921/pi2ZloyfPaGml-Mt

Clinical studies confirm safety, efficacy of opicapone in Parkinson’s disease patients

Published on June 15, 2015 at 8:56 AM

Results from key Phase 3 studies confirm the clinical efficacy and overall safety of opicapone

BIAL is presenting 11 research posters at the 19th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders (June 14–15, San Diego, CA). These evaluate the safety and efficacy of opicapone (BIA 9-1067), a novel once-daily catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor for use as adjunctive therapy in levodopa-treated Parkinson’s disease patients with end of dose motor fluctuations. Bial’s marketing authorisation application is currently under review at the European Medicines Agency.

Professor Joaquim Ferreira, ‎Professor of Neurology and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Lisbon and lead investigator of BIPARK-I said:

Parkinson’s disease places a substantial burden on patients and society. Opicapone represents a valuable addition to the therapies available for the management of motor fluctuations in PD.

The research posters cover key trials including:

•  Results from BIPARK-I confirming that opicapone is effective at reducing OFF-time with a favourable profile compared to entacapone, and is associated with significant improvements in both patient and clinician global impressions of change, in contrast to entacapone, which showed no significant differences compared to placebo in either assessment.

•  Results from 286 patients enrolled into the open-label 1-year extension of BIPARK-II confirming that long-term use of opicapone is considered safe and well tolerated.

•  Pooled results from the double-blind phase of BIPARK-I and BIPARK-II (509 patients in the pooled efficacy set; 750 in the pooled safety set) confirming that opicapone is effective in reducing OFF-time, without increasing ON-time with troublesome dyskinesia; improves motor fluctuations in levodopa-treated patients regardless of concomitant dopamine agonist or monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors use; is safe and well-tolerated in the whole trial population and in the subset of patients over 70 years; is not associated with relevant electrocardiographic or hepatic adverse events.

The continued development of opicapone reflects BIAL’s commitment to discover, develop and provide new therapeutic solutions to patients.

Source:

http://www.bial.com/

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150615/Clinical-studies-confirm-safety-efficacy-of-opicapone-in-Parkinsone28099s-disease-patients.aspx

Cholinesterase Inhibitor May Prevent Parkinson's Falls

Rivastigmine improves gait disturbances in early study

      

LAST UPDATED 06.18.2015 

      Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

       In a phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 130 Parkinson's patients who have fallen in the past year, the cholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine effectively reduced gait variability, a proxy for fall risk.

    Adverse events were generally mild and consistent with prior clinical experience.

       Though rate of falls was decreased with rivastigmine compared with placebo as a secondary outcome measure, it remains to be seen whether this beneficial effect is borne out in larger studies.

SAN DIEGO -- A cholinesterase inhibitor improved gait in Parkinson's patients and may ultimately help diminish falls in this population, researchers reported here.

In a phase II study, rivastigmine (Exelon) improved gait variability during normal walking and during walking while performing a simple cognitive task, Emily Henderson, MRCP, MBChB, of the University of Bristol, reported at the Movement Disorders Society meeting here.

It also reduced the rate of falls, which was only a secondary endpoint in this study.

"This really just supports the fact that we need to do a larger trial with falls as the primary endpoint to see if this effect actually plays out in day-to-day life," Henderson told MedPage Today.

Falls are a common problem in Parkinson's disease, and Henderson said underlying cholinergic deficits contribute to gait dysfunction and cognitive impairment -- both of which are significant contributors to fall risk. These impairments only worsen as the disease progresses, she added.

The researchers theorized that a cholinesterase inhibitor may be able to mitigate those problems -- and, indeed, a small study of the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil (Aricept) found that to be the case in 2010. This time, they assessed the effects of another such agent, rivastigmine, which is already approved for the treatment of Parkinson's dementia.

For their phase II, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial, they enrolled 130 patients who'd had a fall in the last year. These patients were randomized to either rivastigmine or placebo, and the drug was uptitrated over 4 months to a maximum of 6 mg twice a day, and then maintained at the highest tolerated dose for the next 4 months.

The primary outcome was step time variability, a proxy marker for risk of falls, measured in three conditions: normal walking, simple cognitive task, and complex cognitive task.

The study had a high retention rate (95%), and the researchers performed an intention-to-treat analysis.

They found that in models adjusted for factors including age, cognition, previous falls, rivastigmine improved step time variability in two of the three walking conditions:

       Normal walk: RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.58-0.88, P=0.002

       Simple cognitive task: RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.62-0.99, P=0.045

The findings were not significant for the complex cognitive task, and Henderson noted that the "greatest treatment effect was seen during normal walking."

There was no evidence of effect modification by age group, cognition, or duration of Parkinson's disease, they added.

For the secondary endpoints, rivastigmine was associated with fewer falls per month (1.4 versus 2.4), and there was a 29% relative reduction in the rate of falls with the drug.

Adverse events were consistent with the literature and were predominantly mild and not related to trial medication, Henderson said. Rivastigmine was associated with more occurrences of gastrointestinal disturbance and urinary tract infection -- both of which are known side effects of the drug.

The researchers concluded that while rivastigmine improved gait variability, it remains to be seen whether that will translate to a more clinically meaningful reduction in fall risk -- which needs to be evaluated in future large-scale phase III trials.

Melissa Nirenberg, MD, PhD, of NYU Langone Medical Center, who was not involved in the study, said cholinesterase inhibitors for gait and falls in Parkinson's is "a hot area of investigation."

"Multiple groups are looking at this, and it would be novel if it works, but we don't know yet," Nirenberg told MedPage Today. "Some people are trying it empirically. Anecdotally, I haven't noticed any improvement in the gait of patients in whom I start those drugs for cognitive impairment."

She added that currently, rehab and safety precautions "are the main ways of averting falls. We don't have any medications for this problem."

Novartis provided the study drug plus placebo.

The researchers disclosed no financial relationships with industry.

         Reviewed by Robert Gross, MD Multiple Sclerosis Fellow, Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY

         Primary Source
International Congress on Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders
Source Reference: Henderson EJ, et al "The ReSPOnD trial: Rivastigmine to stabilize gait in Parkinson's disease" MDS 2015; Abstract LBA10.

 by Kristina Fiore

         Staff Writer, MedPage Today 

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/MDS/52166

Inhaled Levodopa May Bridge Parkinson's 'Off' Periods

June 16,2015

SAN DIEGO -- An inhaled formulation of levodopa reduced breakthrough motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients during periods when their oral levodopa therapy had worn off, researchers reported here.

In a phase IIb study, patients on the investigational drug CVT-301 had a significant reduction in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part III scores over 4 weeks compared with placebo, Robert Hauser, MD, of the University of South Florida Medical Center in Tampa, and colleagues reported in a poster at the Movement Disorders Society meeting here.

"It can serve an unmet need," Hauser told MedPage Today. "If it proves safe and effective in phase III trials, it has the potential to be helpful."

"Off" episodes involve re-emergence of motor symptoms such as an impaired ability to move, muscle stiffness, and tremor; these occur because the effectiveness of oral levodopa wanes before the next dose can safely be given. Current therapies for these episodes, which affect up to half of all patients on levodopa, are limited, the researchers said.

Since levodopa is the most effective oral treatment for Parkinson's symptoms, the ability to bridge those periods between doses could be useful, Hauser said.

For the study, the researchers randomized 86 patients with Parkinson's disease to either the investigational inhaled product or to placebo during a 4-week period. For the first 2 weeks, patients took a 35-mg dose, and for the last 2 weeks they took the 50-mg dose.

All patients were on levodopa therapy, and their mean intake was 770 mg/day, with an average "off" time of 6 hours per day.

The primary outcome was change in scores on the UPDRS Part III during "off" periods.

On average, patients used the "rescue" levodopa or placebo about two times per day.

Hauser and colleagues found that the drug significantly improved UPDRS Part III scores at all time points between 10 and 60 minutes after administration compared with placebo (P<0.05).

By the end of the 4-week study, mean change in UPDRS Part III scores were significantly better for drug patients, for both doses:

       35 mg: -9.9 versus -5.3, P=0.007

       50 mg: -10 versus -3.1, P<0.001

Patients also reported reductions in "off" time -- by 1.1 hours/day with the 35-mg dose, and by a significant 1.6 hours/day with the 50-mg dose.

There were more adverse events in the drug group -- 47% versus 33% -- including dizziness, cough, nausea, and anxiety, which could be tied to an excess of drug, but that would need further study, Hauser said.

They concluded that inhaled levodopa improves motor function as early as 10 minutes after administration, reduces "off" time, and appears to be safe and well tolerated.

Drugmaker Acorda Therapeutics is currently enrolling patients in a phase III trial of the drug.

Peter Jenner, MD, of King's College London, said in a statement that the novel inhaled formulation "appears to offer a further and novel route of administration of levodopa that can be used to treat 'off' periods."

"My immediate thought is that it will offer an alternative to rescue from 'off' periods currently achieved by subcutaneous injection of apomorphine," Jenner said. "A noninvasive form of rescue therapy will have utility and convenience for patients with Parkinson's disease experiencing sudden 'off' and improve their quality of life."

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/MDS/52166

Reviewed by Rebecca Farber, MD Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY 

LAST UPDATED 06.17.2015

• Primary Source

  International Congress on Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders

  Source Reference: LeWitt PA, et al "Inhaled levodopa (CVT-301) provides rapid improvement of OFF states in Parkinson's disease" MDS 2015; Abstract 260.

The 21st Parkinson's Unity Walk Raised More Than $1.7 Million for

Parkinson's Research

PR Newswire

KINGSTON, N.J., June 18, 2015

KINGSTON, N.J., June 18, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Parkinson Alliance announced today that as a result of the 21st Parkinson's Unity Walk, which took place on Saturday, April 25, 2015, over $1.7 million was raised.  The Parkinson's Unity Walk is the largest grassroots fundraiser for Parkinson's disease research in the country.  The annual 1.4 mile wheelchair accessible Walk around New York City's Central Park unites thousands of participants from across the country and supporters from around the world.

"We are so proud of all of our supporters for their year round efforts.  It is the pledge from these groups and generous donations of our sponsors that allow us to create a better life for those diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, create awareness and fundraise to one day find a cure," said Martin Tuchman, Chairman of The Parkinson Alliance, the umbrella organization for the Parkinson's Unity Walk.

"Nearly 500 teams totaling over 11,000 participants were in attendance this year.  With their participation in coordination with the help from our sponsors and information booths about available therapies and advocacy, the Walk was a success on multiple levels, from increasing education to raising funds and expanding the Parkinson's community," said Carol Walton, Chief Executive Officer of The Parkinson Alliance. 

Our sponsors included AbbVie, Lundbeck, Teva CNS, UCB, US WorldMeds, Boston Scientific, LSVT Global, and SpeechVive.  As pledged, the generous support from our sponsors allowed 100% of donations to go to research funded by seven major U.S. Parkinson's disease foundations.  Receiving grants for research are the American Parkinson Disease Association, National Parkinson Foundation, Parkinson's Action Network, Parkinson's Disease Foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, The Parkinson Alliance, and The Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center.

Parkinson's disease is a chronic, degenerative, neurological disorder that affects over 1 million people in the U.S.  For more information regarding registration or donations for the 2016 Parkinson's Unity Walk, please click here or call 866-789-9255.

About The Parkinson AllianceThe Parkinson Alliance is a national non-profit organization, dedicated to raising funds to help finance the most promising research to find the cause and cure for Parkinson's disease; and is the umbrella organization for the Parkinson's Unity Walk.  Since its inception in 1994, one hundred percent of donations to the Parkinson's Unity Walk have gone to research. 

Contacts

Helaine Isaacs

Parkinson's Unity Walk

866-789-9255

info@unitywalk.org

Lauren Menache

Berk Comm & Marketing Group

212-889-0440 ext. 222

lauren@berkcommunications.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-21st-parkinsons-unity-walk-raised-more-than-17-million-for-parkinsons-research-300101447.html

SOURCE The Parkinson Alliance

http://health.einnews.com/article/271522533/srmVWnB5saRWfUrD

Parkinson's disease appears associated with many cancers in Taiwan

PUBLIC RELEASE: 18-JUN-2015

Parkinson disease (PD) appeared associated with 16 types of cancer in a study in Taiwan, an effort to explain the association in an East Asian population because most prior research has been conducted in Western populations, according to an article published online by JAMA Oncology.

During the past 50 years, more than 25 epidemiological studies have been conducted on the association between PD and cancer, and most of those studies showed that individuals with PD had a decreased risk of cancer compared to those without PD. However, most of those studies were done in Western populations and it has become clearer that genetic backgrounds play an important role in disease development.

Pan-Chyr Yang, M.D., Ph.D., of the National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, and coauthors used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to build a final study group of 62,023 patients newly diagnosed with PD from 2004 through 2010 and 124,046 control participants without PD.

The authors found a PD diagnosis was not associated with increased risk of breast, ovarian or thyroid cancers. However, PD appeared associated (as measured by increased hazard ratios) with 16 other cancers including malignant brain tumors, gastrointestinal tracts cancers, lung cancers, some hormone-related cancers, urinary tract cancers, lymphoma/leukemia, melanoma and other skin cancers.

The authors note limitations in their research, including possible underestimation of PD incidence, smoking status not included in their analysis, speculation about pesticide exposure, and remaining questions regarding genetic correlations.

"Based on this nationwide study on the association between PD [Parkinson disease] and cancer risk, we conclude that PD is a risk factor for most cancer in Taiwan. In our cohort, only breast, ovarian and thyroid cancers show no association with PD. Further studies are needed to clarify whether our findings can be applied to other East Asian populations. The striking differences between our study and the previous studies in Western cohorts suggest the importance of ethnicity and environmental exposures in disease pathogenesis," the article concludes.

###

(JAMA Oncol. Published online June 18, 2015. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.1752. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)

Editor's Note: This study was supported by grants from the National Science Council and from Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Pan-Chyr Yang, M.D., Ph.D., email pcyang@ntu.edu.tw

To place an electronic embedded link in your story: Links will be live at the embargo time: http://oncology.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.1752 and http://oncology.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.1810

http://health.einnews.com/article/271516099/-5LBHne8uL5VVEAj

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Parkinson's Linked to Various Cancers in East Asians

Previous studies on Parkinson's disease reveals that the neurodegenerative disorder decreases the risk of cancer. However, new research on East Asian populations reveal the opposite.

Taiwanese scientists recently linked Parkinson's disease to 16 types of cancer. Researchers noted previous studies on Parkinson's focused mostly on western populations, and recent work reveals that genes play a significant role in an individual's disease risk. The latest study involved data from Taiwan National Health Insurance. Researchers compared 62,023 patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease from 2004 through 2010 to 124,046 control participants without the neurodegenerative disorder.

The latest findings linked Parkinson's disease to 16 other cancers including malignant brain tumors, gastrointestinal tracts cancers, lung cancers, some hormone-related cancers, urinary tract cancers, lymphoma/leukemia, melanoma and other skin cancers.

However, researchers were unable to link the disease to higher rates of breast, ovarian or thyroid cancers.

"Based on this nationwide study on the association between PD [Parkinson disease] and cancer risk, we conclude that PD is a risk factor for most cancer in Taiwan. In our cohort, only breast, ovarian and thyroid cancers show no association with PD. Further studies are needed to clarify whether our findings can be applied to other East Asian populations. The striking differences between our study and the previous studies in Western cohorts suggest the importance of ethnicity and environmental exposures in disease pathogenesis," lead researcher Pan-Chyr Yang, M.D., Ph.D., of the National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, and coauthors, wrote in the study.

Read more: http://www.counselheal.com/articles/14044/20150618/parkinsons-linked-various-cancers-east-asians.htm#ixzz3dYEpIWrW

http://health.einnews.com/article/271591380/0i4c3dnggIolGGBZ