EAN 2022 | Tackling unmet needs in the symptomatic management in PD

Fabrizio Stocchi, MD, PhD, IRCCS San Raffaele Rome, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, describes the unmet needs in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Despite there being efficacious drugs to manage many of the symptoms of this neurodegenerative disorder, these treatments are often accompanied by difficult side effects and some symptoms still lack effective control strategies. Unpredictable OFF time, dyskinesia, freezing, imbalance, cognitive impairment, and psychosis are common issues. It has been suggested that continuous delivery of levodopa could improve side effects. Nevertheless, according to Prof. Stocchi, the most important unmet need in PD is the lack of a drug that slows down or halts disease progression. There are several Phase II trials that are investigating two different human alpha synuclein (α-syn) antibodies to determine if these have potential to limit the neurodegenerative process. Anti-inflammatory drugs may also target glial inflammation and consequently reduce aggregation of α-syn to aid this goal. This interview took place at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) 2022 Congress in Vienna, Austria.