AD/PD 2022 | Key clinical trials of disease modifying therapies in Parkinson’s disease
Fabrizio Stocchi, MD, PhD, IRCCS San Raffaele Rome, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, shares an overview of recent updates in the development of new treatments for Parkinson’s disease. Looking to address the major unmet needs in the field, there is a substantial focus on trialing potential disease modifying and neuroprotective therapies. Prof. Stocchi highlights antibodies targeting α-Synuclein as some of the most promising agents on the horizon. While two such agents failed to reach their primary endpoints in the recent Phase II SPARK (NCT03318523) and PASADENA (NCT03100149) trials, prasinezumab generated positive signals on multiple secondary and exploratory endpoints in the PASADENA trial and is now under investigation in a Phase IIb study in patients with more advanced Parkinson’s disease (PADOVA; NCT04777331). The Phase II ORCHESTRA study (NCT04658186) of an oral small-molecule α-synuclein aggregation inhibitor in patients with early-stage Parkinson’s disease is also underway. This interview took place at the AD/PD™ 2022 Conference in Barcelona, Spain.
Transcript (edited for clarity)
Well, research in Parkinson’s disease, especially about treatment of Parkinson’s disease, is now moving especially to disease modifying or neuroprotection. In this field at the moment, the most promising drugs are the alpha synuclein antibodies.
We already did two studies which did not meet the primary endpoint. One was with the SPARK study with the Biogen compound. The other one is the PASADENA Study with the Roche compound...
Well, research in Parkinson’s disease, especially about treatment of Parkinson’s disease, is now moving especially to disease modifying or neuroprotection. In this field at the moment, the most promising drugs are the alpha synuclein antibodies.
We already did two studies which did not meet the primary endpoint. One was with the SPARK study with the Biogen compound. The other one is the PASADENA Study with the Roche compound.
But the PASADENA study, the Roche compound, gave some good or encouraging results. For example, the UPDS part three was actually significant in patients treated with the antibodies versus placebo.
Also, in the delayed start group, the effect of the drug was there, but still remained separated from the one who started early. So the patient who started early with the antibodies had a better outcome than the patient that started nine or 12 months later.
That’s very encouraging, and in fact, there is a trial now going on called the PADOVA study with this compound.
There is another study which just started, it’s called the Orchestra study. It’s a UCB compound, it’s another antibody. But in this case, the antibody is administered orally, whereas the other ones are given intravenously every month. This one is giving every day orally.
In this case, we are just recruiting patients, so we have to wait about a year to know if these drugs will help us.
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Disclosures
Sunovion, Neuroderm, Abbvie, Britannia, Lusofarmaco, Ever Pharma, BIAL Pharma, Roche, Biogen, IRLAB, Chiese Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline Plc., Impax Laboratories Inc., Lundbeck Ltd., Teva UK Limited, UCB Pharma Ltd., Merck & Co. Inc, Zambon Pharma, Novartis AG
