PARKINSON'S DISEASE NEWS

2nd September 2009 - News report

PIMAVANSERIN FAILS CLINICAL TRIAL FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Pimavanserin, a drug in development for psychosis related to Parkinson's Disease failed to have any beneficial effect in clinical trials. Psychotic episodes, such as hallucinations and delusions, sometimes occur in Parkinson's Disease. The drug was being developed by Arcadia and Biovail. For more information go to Biovail. Parkinson's Disease is largely due to insufficient dopamine. Psychosis appears to be due to almost the opposite - an excess or an accumulation of dopamine. This is why anti-psychotic drugs can cause Parkinson's Disease symptoms, and why Parkinson's Disease drugs can sometimes cause symptoms of psychosis. Pimavanserin is a "5-HT 2A receptor inverse agonist". Biochemically that could have no effect on the excessive dopamine found in psychosis.  So the failure of Pimavanserin in clinical trials is almost predictable. The psychosis sometimes experienced in Parkinson's Disease is normally due to the excessive use of dopaminergic drugs. So a reduction in the use of those drugs is a more rational approach than using an additional drug to combat the effects of dopaminergic drugs. For more current news go to Parkinson's Disease News.

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