Patient and Public Involvement

Here at PREDICT-PD we  are very keen to ensure we are not just answering abstract questions, but are focussing on the needs on the Parkinson's community. It was a real pleasure to meet with an engaged and dynamic group of people with Parkinson's and a representative of the Cure Parkinson's Trust. 

Together, we will ensure that our research is always focussing on what is important: how can we beat Parkinson's? We shared our frustrations that despite the effort that is spent on medical research, we still have so far to go to realise our goal. The scientific method is one of small steps and incremental advances. 

Hand-in-hand with this process of understanding the disease in order to create new treatments, are 'fast-track' processes, such as the Linked Trials Initiative, which the Cure Parkinson's Trust is involved with. The Linked  Clinical Trials initiative has reviewed the literature to identify 10 drugs that are already licensed for other conditions, such as statins for heart health, exenatide for diabetes and others, and assessed their likelihood to be effective in the fight against Parkinson's, based on sound biological plausibility and early experimental data. 

This initiative fits wonderfully with the aims of PREDICT-PD. These compounds may be shown to be effective in established Parkinson's, but just as blowing out a candle is easier than putting out a forest fire, so too changing the course of Parkinson's is likely to be easier and potentially more effective if it is done before the onset of the motor symptoms of the condition. 

So, I personally look forward to meeting this group again, being challenged by their insightful questions, being inspired by their experiences and being motivated by their desire for answers!

RNR

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4318242/

Linked Clinical Trials – The Development of New Clinical Learning Studies in Parkinson’s Disease Using Screening of Multiple Prospective New Treatments

Brundin P, Barker RA, Conn PJ, Dawson TM, Kieburtz K, Lees AJ, et al. Linked Clinical Trials – The Development of New Clinical Learning Studies in Parkinson’s Disease Using Screening of Multiple Prospective New Treatments. J Parkinsons Dis. 2013 Jan 1;3(3):231–9. 

Finding new therapies for Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a slow process. We assembled an international committee of experts to examine drugs potentially suitable for repurposing to modify PD progression. This committee evaluated multiple drugs currently used, or being developed, in other therapeutic areas, as well as considering several natural, non-pharmaceutical compounds. The committee prioritized which of these putative treatments were most suited to move immediately into pilot clinical trials. Aspects considered included known modes of action, safety, blood-brain-barrier penetration, preclinical data in animal models of PD and the possibility to monitor target engagement in the brain. Of the 26 potential interventions, 10 were considered worth moving forward into small, parallel ‘learning’ clinical trials in PD patients. These trials could be funded in a multitude of ways through support from industry, research grants and directed philanthropic donations. The committee-based approach to select the candidate compounds might help rapidly identify new potential PD treatment strategies for use in clinical trials.