For the past five decades pharmaceutical drugs like levodopa have been the gold standard for treating Parkinsons disease. These medications alleviate motor symptoms of the disease, but none of them can cure it. Patients with Parkinsons continue to lose dopamine neurons critical to the motor control centers of the brain. Eventually the drugs become ineffective and patients tremors get worse. They experience a loss of balance and a debilitating stiffness takes over their legs. To replace the lost dopamine neurons, scientists have begun investigating stem cell therapy as a potential treatment or even a cure. But embryonic cells and adult stem cells have proved difficult to harness and transplant into the brain. Now a study from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm shows it is possible to coax the brains own astrocytescells that typically support and nurture neuronsinto producing a new generation of dopamine neurons. The reprogrammed cells display several of the properties and functions of native dopamine neurons and could alter the course of Parkinsons, according to the researchers. You can directly reprogram a cell that is already inside the brain and change the function in such a way that you can improve neurological symptoms, says senior author Ernest Arenas, … Continue reading →

MILAN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Newron Pharmaceuticals S.p.A. (Newron) (NWRN.SW), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for patients with diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) and pain, is pleased to note the news from its partner Zambon, that it has entered into a partnership with Valeo Pharma for the Canadian market to provide the 100,000 patients living with Parkinsons access to Xadago (safinamide). Canada represents one of the eight major markets. *World Parkinson's Day (WPD) is observed every year on April 11, the birthday of Dr. James Parkinson, the English physician who first described the symptoms of the disease, in 1817; thus, the 2017 WPD marks 200 years since publication of An Essay on the Shaking Palsy. The full text of the announcement from Zambon and Valeo Pharma is as follows: Valeo Pharma and Zambon form partnership for Parkinsons Disease Treatment Xadago (safinamide) in Canada April 11, 2017 Zambon S.p.A., an international pharmaceutical company strongly committed to the central nervous system (CNS) therapeutic area, and Valeo Pharma Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to registering and launching innovative prescription products in Canada, today announced a strategic agreement to commercialize Xadago (safinamide) for the treatment of Parkinsons disease in … Continue reading →

Research into new treatments for Parkinson's disease is falling behind and in urgent need of extra funding, a charity has warned. Without greater progress, patients with the progressive shaking disease face a bleak future, according to Parkinson's UK. The charity has launched its first public fundraising campaign as it marks 200 years since the disease was first identified by London-based physician James Parkinson. Although some of the symptoms of Parkinson's are treatable, currently there is nothing available that can halt or reverse the condition. The disease, suffered by around 127,000 people in the UK, has a range of physical effects including tremors, slowness of movement and rigidity, that can impact on almost every area of a person's life. It is also associated with "hidden" symptoms such as poor sleep, depression and dementia. Speaking at the start of the "We Won't Wait" campaign, Parkinson's UK chief executive Steve Ford said: " In the past 200 years we have made many strides forward, but people with Parkinson's are still waiting for a treatment that can tackle the condition head on. "Parkinson's can leave people struggling to walk, talk and sleep. Today, we say we won't wait any longer. "That's why Parkinson's UK … Continue reading →