6th April 2013 - New research
ISTRADEFYLLINE CLINICAL TRIAL RESULTS FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Movement Disorders [2013] Mar 11 [Epub ahead of print] (Y.Mizuno, T.Kondo, the Japanese Istradefylline Study Group.

Researchers evaluated the efficacy and safety of istradefylline, which is being developed for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. Istradefylline is an A(2A) adenosine receptor antagonist and so does not act by directly increasing the activity of dopamine. It is administered with L-dopa.

After a 12 week clinical trial using 20mg or 40mg  istradefylline the change in daily OFF time was significantly reduced with 20mg per day and 40 mg per day. The daily OFF time was over 40 minutes less.  However, the most common adverse event was dyskinesia, which occurred more commonly when taking istradefylline than when taking a placebo

INHALED DOPAMINE AGONIST CLINICAL TRIAL RESULTS

1st April 2013 - New research

Acta Neurologica Scandinavica [2013] Mar 26 [Epub ahead of print] (K.A.Grosset, N.Malek, F.Morgan, D.G. Grosset)

Researchers assessed the safety, tolerability and efficacy of a new form of apomorphine presently being developed, called VR040, which is an inhaled dry powder. Apomorphine is a dopamine agonist used in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. 'Off' periods usually increase as Parkinson's Disease progresses and the benefits of standard therapy wane. Subcutaneous (injected) apomorphine rescues 'off' periods, but injections by patients and adverse effects are sometimes problematic.

Inhaled doses were gradually increased until efficacy was reached and given to patients when they were in an 'off' state. When it was inhaled, apomorphine was rapidly absorbed, within 2 to 7 minutes. This enabled a reversal from the 'off' state, in just 10 minutes. In contrast many people with Parkinson's Disease have to wait 30 to 60 minutes for their Parkinson's Disease drugs to have effect. Therefore, speed of effect appears to be its greatest benefit. Adverse effects did not differ between those taking inhaled apomorphine and those taking a placebo.

PARKINSON'S TREATMENT : 10 SECRETS TO A HAPPIER LIFE

30th March 2013 - New book
PARKINSON'S TREATMENT : 10 SECRETS TO A HAPPIER LIFE
Michael S.Okun MD

Publisher's description : I never assume a sufferer or family member is aware of the “secrets” that may lead to hope and to a happier life. We must share these secrets, and this is the purpose of this book. Each chapter of this book reveals an important secret, and with each secret I will explain the insight, the rationale, the empiricism, and the science behind it. In each chapter I will also try to reveal a little more about myself, and a lot more about the patients and talented clinicians who gifted the Parkinson's secrets. These patients planted the seed of faith. They learned to grow hope, and they discovered the core values necessary to achieve happiness despite the chronic illness of Parkinson's disease

24th March 2103 - News release

A new L-dopa product, which is presently called ODM-101, significantly decreased daily OFF-time without increasing ON-time with troublesome dyskinesias when compared to Stalevo, which is a standard medication in advanced Parkinson's Disease when people experience end-of-dose wearing off symptoms using L-dopa.

Stalevo contains three active substances in one tablet : L-dopa, plus carbidopa and entacapone, both of which help to maintain L-dopa levels. For more information go to Stalevo. ODM-101 has the same components as Stalevo but has a higher and fixed amount of carbidopa (either 65mg or 105 mg) regardless of the L-dopa dosage. As it made by the same manufacturers it is effectively an improved form of Stalevo.

People with Parkinson's Disease were given two forms of ODM-101 with two different amounts of carbidopa : ODM-101/65mg and ODM-101/105mg. Both of them reduced daily OFF-time more than Stalevo. ODM-101/105mg was marginally better than ODM-101/65mg. Similarly, both ODM-101 combinations increased the ON-time without troublesome dyskinesia significantly more than Stalevo. There were no significant differences between the treatments in ON-time with troublesome dyskinesia or in UPDRS II and III symptom scores. Overall, tolerability and safety of ODM-101 was comparable to that of  Stalevo.

PIMAVANSERIN CLINICAL TRIAL RESULTS IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

23rd March 2013 - New research

In a phase III clinical trial, Pimavanserin had effect in the treatment of psychosis in Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis usually consists of visual hallucinations and delusions. It is normally due to Parkinson's Disease drugs not Parkinson's Disease.  It eventually occurs in up to 60% of people with Parkinson's Disease. Pimavanserin is an antagonist of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. It is taken orally as a tablet once-a-day.

Patients took 40mg Pimavanserin for only six weeks. So its long term effects have not been assessed. The adverse events were little different from those found in people taking a placebo. Pimavanserin demonstrated significant antipsychotic efficacy and significant improvements in all secondary efficacy measures. Statistically significant benefits were also observed in exploratory measures of nighttime sleep, daytime wakefulness, and caregiver burden.

BEING OVERWEIGHT IS MORE PREVALENT IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

14th March 2013 - New research

Arquivos de Neuropsiquiatra [2012] 70 (11) : 843-846 (H.Morales-Briceño, A.Cervantes-Arriaga, M.Rodríguez-Violante, J.Calleja-Castillo, T.Corona)

Underweight and malnutrition are well documented in Parkinson's Disease (PD), while being overweight has been less reported. Researchers carried out a study comparing the weight and height of people with and without Parkinson's Disease. In those people with Parkinson's Disease only 1% were underweight, 33% were within the normal range, 47%% were overweight, and 19% were obese. Being normal weight and overweight were more prevalent in those people who had Parkinson's Disease when compared to those people who did not. Being obese and, even moreso, being underweight  were more common in those people who did not have Parkinsons' Disease.

CLINICAL TRIAL OF SUBCUTANEOUS L-DOPA FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE

5th March 2013 - News release

NeuroDerm announced today the results of a Phase I safety and pharmacokinetic trial of ND0612. ND0612 is a novel drug formulation for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease. NeuroDerm is a pharmaceutical company that specializes in the development of novel dermal delivery routes for CNS drugs.

ND0612 is a combination of L-dopa and carbidopa, as is Sinemet, but it is a liquid formula administered continuously sub-cutaneously (via the skin) through a patch pump. It is designed to provide steady L-dopa blood levels for the reduction of motor complications in Parkinson’s Disease.

In this double-blind, placebo controlled, dose-escalation trial in young, healthy volunteers, ND0612 was shown to be safe and tolerable in all of the tested doses. Clinically meaningful L-dopa concentrations were reached. For the first time in humans, steady state L-dopa concentrations were maintained in a practical manner both day and night, thereby enabling more even levels of L-dopa than oral forms of L-dopa. The full results of this study will be presented at a future scientific meeting

HOW TO LIVE WELL WITH PARKINSON'S : ADVICE FROM A PHYSICAL THERAPIST

4th March 2013 - New book
HOW TO LIVE WELL WITH PARKINSON'S : ADVICE FROM A PHYSICAL THERAPIST
Miriam P. Boelen

Publisher's description : People with Parkinson’s commonly have symptoms and problems unique to their condition that can interfere with daily activities. When initially diagnosed they all too often don’t know what to do or where to turn. This book, written specifically for them, clears up questions they may have regarding their self-help. It gives step by step instructions in properly handling daily activities like walking, getting out of bed or chairs, and other potentially problematic everyday movements. It also guides them in finding the optimal medical team to help them stay well. For caregivers there are easy-to-follow instructions in safely assisting a person with PD without jeopardizing themselves or the one they are helping

WE by my friend, Jim Evridge

Continued progress in using own skin cells for Parkinson's!!

 

posted on Health unlock 3/26/2013:

 

Two years ago, researchers in Lund were the first in the world to re-programme human skin cells, known as fibroblasts, to dopamine-producing nerve cells without taking a detour via the stem cell stage. The research group has now gone a step further and shown that it is possible to re-programme both skin cells and support cells directly to nerve cells, in place in the brain. “The findings are the first important evidence that it is possible to re-programme other cells to become nerve cells inside the brain”, said Malin Parmar, research group leader and Reader in Neurobiology. The researchers used genes designed to be activated or de-activated using a drug. The genes were inserted into two types of human cells: fibroblasts and glia cells – support cells that are naturally present in the brain. Once the researchers had transplanted the cells into the brains of rats, the genes were activated using a drug in the animals’ drinking water. The cells then began their transformation into nerve cells. In a separate experiment on mice, where similar genes were injected into the mice’s brains, the research group also succeeded in re-programming the mice’s own glia cells to become nerve cells. “The research findings have the potential to open the way for alternatives to cell transplants in the future, which would remove previous obstacles to research, such as the difficulty of getting the brain to accept foreign cells, and the risk of tumour development”, said Malin Parmar. All in all, the new technique of direct re-programming in the brain could open up new possibilities to more effectively replace dying brain cells in conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. “We are now developing the technique so that it can be used to create new nerve cells that replace the function of damaged cells. Being able to carry out the re-programming in vivo makes it possible to imagine a future in which we form new cells directly in the human brain, without taking a detour via cell cultures and transplants”, concluded Malin Parmar. The research article is entitled ‘Generation of induced neurons via direct conversion in vivo’ and has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS): www.pnas.org/. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Malin Parmar, research group leader and Reader in Neurobiology, Lund University Tel: +46 46 222 06 20, Email: Malin.Parmar@med.lu.se Olof Torper, doctoral student in neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet and Lund University Tel: +46 46 222 05 49, Email: Olof.Torper@med.lu.se Anders Björklund, Professor of Neurobiology, Lund University Tel: +46 46 222 05 40, Email: Anders.Bjorklund@med.lu.se