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Parkinson's patients find facial and vocal expression difficult to read; deep brain stimulation seems to make it worse

Scientists are beginning to find out why people with Parkinson's disease often feel socially awkward. Parkinson's patients find it harder to recognize expressions of emotion in other people's faces and voices, report two studies published by the American Psychological Association.

4 Mar 2010

Interim positive data from Phase IIa clinical study of SYN115 for Parkinson’s disease

Synosia Therapeutics today announced interim positive data from a Phase IIa clinical study of an adenosine 2a (A2a) receptor antagonist (SYN115) in Parkinson’s disease.

1 Feb 2010

Projects investigating placebo effects in Parkinson's disease receive funds

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research announced funding for two projects investigating the placebo effect in Parkinson's disease.

30 Dec 2009

Grant of $1 million awarded to develop new treatments for dyskinesia

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research has awarded $1 million for a clinical study aiming to make a critical step toward the development of new treatments for dyskinesia, the excessive and uncontrollable movements that are a complication of long-term dopamine replacement therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease.

22 Dec 2009

European markets for Parkinson's disease therapeutics to reach $2.28 billion in 2015

The Parkinson's disease therapeutics market in 2008 amounted to over $1 billion in the European Union (EU), which includes total sales of carbidopa/levodopa, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors, COMT inhibitors and anticholinergics used for disease symptom relief.

9 Dec 2009

MONITORING FORCE files for Flibanserin orphan drug status designation with the EMEA

MONITORING FORCE GmbH announced that they have filed on November 16th, 2009 Flibanserin in the indication treatment-relevant levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease for orphan drug status designation with the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). Levodopa-induced dyskinesia is a complication of the mainstay treatment in advanced Parkinson's and a serious burden to some of those affected, since it may be disabling for the patients and preventing them from receiving optimal treatment for Parkinson's.

19 Nov 2009

Impax Pharmaceuticals begins Phase III trial of IPX066 drug in PD patients

Impax Pharmaceuticals, the brand products division of Impax Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ:IPXL), today announced that it has initiated a multinational Phase III trial of its late-stage drug candidate IPX066 in advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients.

27 Oct 2009

Parkinson's patients with higher urate levels in their blood and CSF had slower functional decline

Individuals with Parkinson's disease who have higher levels of a metabolite called urate in their blood and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have a slower rate of disease progression, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

14 Oct 2009

FDA approves Mylan Pharmaceuticals' Carbidopa and Levodopa tablets

Mylan Inc. (Nasdaq: MYL) today announced that its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Carbidopa and Levodopa Tablets USP, 10mg/100mg, 25mg/100mg and 25mg/250 mg.

30 Sep 2009

Rasagiline slows the rate of Parkinson's disease progression

Following one of the largest studies ever conducted in Parkinson's disease (PD), researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine report today in The New England Journal of Medicine that rasagiline, a drug currently used to treat the symptoms of PD, may also slow the rate of disease progression.

24 Sep 2009

Phase II trial of Impax Pharmaceuticals' Parkinson’s disease drug candidate successful

Impax Pharmaceuticals, the brand products division of Impax Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPXL) today reported the positive results from a recently completed Phase II trial of its late-stage Parkinson’s Disease drug candidate IPX066

21 Sep 2009

Higher education levels associated with an earlier need for symptomatic treatment of Parkinson's disease

Individuals who have higher levels of education and who are more impaired by Parkinson's disease appear to require treatment for their symptoms earlier than do other patients, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the September print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 Sep 2009

Antibiotic functioning as an off switch being developed for gene therapy of Parkinson's disease

A common antibiotic can function as an "off switch" for a gene therapy being developed for Parkinson's disease, according to University of Florida researchers writing online in advance of September's Molecular Therapy.

29 Aug 2009

Biovail enters into an agreement with Santhera to develop and market JP-1730/fipamezole drug

Biovail Corporation (NYSE:BVF) (TSX:BVF) today announced that its subsidiary, Biovail Laboratories International SRL (BLS), has entered into an agreement with Santhera Pharmaceuticals (Switzerland) Ltd., a subsidiary of Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG (SIX: SANN) to acquire the U.S. and Canadian rights to develop and commercialize Santhera’s JP-1730/fipamezole for the treatment of Dyskinesia in Parkinson’s Disease (DPD). JP-1730/ fipamezole is a first-in-class compound that, in a recent Phase IIb study, displayed the potential to reduce levodopa-induced dyskinesia.

24 Aug 2009

Depomed reports promising results in phase I trial for DM-1992 in Parkinson’s

Depomed, Inc. (NASDAQ:DEPO) today announced that in its Phase 1 pharmacokinetic study in Parkinson’s patients, DM-1992, Depomed’s investigative novel gastric retentive extended-release formulation of levodopa/carbidopa, extended coverage above levodopa’s efficacious threshold and extended the time to peak levodopa concentration relative to currently available sustained release levodopa/carbidopa formulations.

11 Aug 2009

Merck Serono starts second phase III trial of Safinamide in advanced Parkinson's

Merck Serono announced today the initiation of the SETTLE study. This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of a dose range of safinamide (50-100 mg once daily) as add-on therapy to a stable dose of levodopa, in mid- to late-stage Parkinson's disease patients with motor fluctuations compared to placebo.

7 May 2009

Dopamine agonists trigger destructive behaviors

A new study conducted at Mayo Clinic reports that one in six patients receiving therapeutic doses of certain drugs for Parkinson's disease develops new-onset, potentially destructive behaviors, notably compulsive gambling or hypersexuality.

9 Apr 2009

St. Jude Medical announces first European patient implants of Libra deep brain stimulation systems for Parkinson’s Disease

St. Jude Medical, Inc. has announced the first patient implants of its Libra deep brain stimulation (DBS) system for treating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurological disorder that affects a person's control over his or her movements and speech.

29 Mar 2009

Long-term effects of two common drugs for early Parkinson's similar

A study published online in the Archives of Neurology involving two common drugs used to treat early-stage Parkinson's disease shows that, while the drugs each have advantages and disadvantages, the overall impact tends to even out over a long period of treatment.

10 Mar 2009

Safinamide significantly improved motor function in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and its partner Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA has announced that the first Phase III trial of investigational agent safinamide as adjunctive therapy to levodopa (study 016) met its primary endpoint by increasing daily "ON" time in mid- to late-stage Parkinson's disease patients with motor fluctuations by 1.3 hours.

5 Feb 2009