PARKINSON'S DISEASE NEWS

27th October 2010 - New research

NEURTURIN FAILS CLINICAL TRIALS FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Lancet Neurology [2010] Oct 20 [Epub ahead of print] (Marks WJ Jr, Bartus RT, Siffert J, Davis CS, Lozano A, Boulis N, Vitek J, Stacy M, Turner D, Verhagen L, Bakay R, Watts R, Guthrie B, Jankovic J, Simpson R, Tagliati M, Alterman R, Stern M, Baltuch G, Starr PA, Larson PS, Ostrem JL, Nutt J, Kieburtz K, Kordower JH, Olanow CW.) Complete abstract

Neurturin was hailed by its sponsors Ceregene and the Michael J Fox Foundation as having great potential in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease, but has been found to be completely ineffective. Neurturin (CERE-120) is an experimental drug that contains the human gene for a growth factor called neurturin. It is used to deliver the neurturin gene by surgical means, directly into the brain of people with Parkinson's Disease. It was found to be worse than doing nothing, as it was as ineffective as sham surgery (doing nothing) yet still caused severe adverse events in a third of the patients.  Neurturin is the same type of treatment as GDNF reference. GDNF was also previously hailed as a great breakthrough in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. Yet all major clinical trials of GDNF and Neurturin have failed.  For more current news go to Parkinson's Disease News.

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Parkinson's Disease News details all significant new research, news reports, new books, and new resources concerning Parkinson's Disease and those medical disorders that often coincide with Parkinson's Disease. It is compiled from an analysis of  all newly published research, news reports, new clinical trials, all newly published books, and new web sites. A summary and analysis of the new research are provided,  as well as links to the complete abstracts and news reports