A New Drug which May Slow Down Progression of Parkinson's Disease

An early clinical trial has found that a new treatment (monthly infusions with the drug prasinezumab -  an antibody) may be able to slow progression of the condition.

If confirmed by further trials, this would be the first drug designed to tackle the root cause of the illness, rather than just easing symptoms.

You can read that story here, but it isn’t the only recent advance in our treatment and understanding of the condition.

Parkinson’s, which causes symptoms such as tremors and difficulties moving, is one of the more common brain conditions, and is becoming increasingly prevalent as people live longer.

It has long been linked with the death of certain cells in the brain that make a signalling molecule called dopamine, which is essential for controlling movements. But it is unclear why this happens and why only certain kinds of movements are affected.

The main treatment involves taking tablets multiple times a day that raise dopamine levels, but the condition inexorably progresses, and eventually symptoms can be very disabling, especially between medication doses.

Some people with severe Parkinson’s end up having wires placed into the movement centres of their brain to deliver small electrical currents, a process known as deep brain stimulation (DBS). While DBS reduces some of the worst symptoms of tremor and slowness, it can interfere with speech and cause jerky movements.

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