Public release date: 20-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Jillian Hurst press_releases@the-jci.org Journal of Clinical Investigation Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative neurological disorder marked by a progressive loss of motor control. Despite intensive research, there are currently no approved therapies that have been demonstrated to alter the progression of the disease. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Dr. Thomas Foltynie and colleagues at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London investigated the use of a drug approved for diabetes care, Exenatide, in PD patients. PD patients were divided into two groups: 20 patients received Exenatide injections for 12 months, while the other group of 24 patients served as controls. Due to high manufacturing costs, the control group did not receive placebo injections and the patients were aware of their group assignment. Foltynie and colleagues observed that Exenatide was well tolerated. After one year of treatment patients receiving Exenatide displayed improved cognitive ability and motor skills, while control patients declined. Though this trial cannot rule out a placebo effect, the study suggests that Exenatide may improved motor function in PD patients and provides a strong rationale for conducting a larger, blinded study to … Continue reading →

A drug commonly used to treat people with diabetes could help slow down or even stop Parkinson's disease, research has suggested. Claire Bale of Parkinson's UK hailed the findings on the use of the diabetes drug Exenatide on a group of patients with Parkinson's disease as a "huge step forward in the on-going fight" against disorder. It comes as the scientific world tries to find ways to combat the degenerative neurological disorder which leads to progressive loss of motor control. The new findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, found that Exenatide was "well tolerated" and there were "clinically relevant improvements in Parkinson's disease across motor and cognitive measures". A team of researchers from London's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, divided the patients into two groups. This included one group of 20 patients who received Exenatide injections for 12 months, while the other 24 patients acted as a control group. It was noted: "After one year of treatment patients receiving Exenatide displayed improved cognitive ability and motor skills, while control patients declined. "Though this trial cannot rule out a placebo effect, the study suggests that Exenatide may improve motor function in PD (Parkinson's disease) patients and provides a … Continue reading →

5:45pm, Mon 20 May 2013 Drug slows Parkinson's progress Last updated Mon 20 May 2013 A diabetes drug called Exenatide could be beneficial for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, new research has found. This new study is perhaps more noteworthy for the approach it has taken with respect to the clinical trial design. All of this was done in a modest number of patients and the results compared with a matched control arm that received best medical therapy. Using this approach they found a signal of effect that suggested that the drug may well be slowing down the disease process. All of which is good news not only for patients with PD but for us all, as we seek to explore how drugs already out there could be repositioned. Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have told ITV's Daybreak that the popular show Dancing on Ice will finish after next year's series. The death toll is climbing remorselessly. The sense of helplessness in Oklahoma is overwhelming. A&Es are getting 'closer to the cliff edge' as ITV News has learned the Health Secretary is to unveil major reforms of Out of Hours care. The common diabetes drug Exenatide could be beneficial for … Continue reading →

The common diabetes drug Exenatide could be beneficial for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, new research suggests. Doctors believe a drug used to treat diabetes could significantly help people suffering from Parkinson's Disease. Tests on the drug are still in their very early stages, but initial results suggest it might combat aspects of the physical degeneration caused by the disease. ITV News reporter Ben Chapman reports: Read: Diabetes drug moves Parkinson's treatment a step closer Parkinson's UK have said it is "too soon to know effects" the common diabetes drug Exenatide will have on the treatment of Parkinson's disease. This new research is a huge step forward in the on-going fight to find a drug which can slow down, or even halt, the progression of Parkinson's. Despite these encouraging results, it is simply too soon to tell whether this drug is a blind alley or a breakthrough for people with Parkinson's. The research was conducted in a very small number of people and, crucially, without a placebo group making it difficult to draw too many firm conclusions at this stage. We look forward to seeing the results of a much larger trial to fully examine the usefulness of exenatide for … Continue reading →