VIARTIS

 PARKINSON'S DISEASE NEWS

In the clinical trial patients took either 40 mg of Pimavanserin or a placebo once a day for six weeks. Patients also received stable doses of their existing Parkinson’s Disease treatments throughout the study. Those people taking Pimavanserin reduced their score on the SAPS-PD scale by 5.79. Those people taking a placebo reduced their score by 2.73. Although the results were described as "representing a highly significant and clinically meaningful treatment" the effects of Pimavanserin were quite moderate when compared to those taking a placebo. Half the effect of Pimavanserin was achieved by effectively taking nothing at all. The study also fails to assess the long term effects of Pimavanserin as it lasted only 43 days. All drugs, due to a process called "feedback inhibition" end up reducing their over time. The most common adverse events were urinary tract infection and falls, but these were at a rate very little more than for those taking a placebo.  Most symptoms of psychosis in Parkinson's Disease are due to Parkinson's Disease drugs themselves. For more information go to the News release. For a printable version of this article click here. For more news go to Parkinson's Disease News.