Cambridge drug trial hopes to slow Parkinson's disease

Dr Caroline Williams-Gray said there was a "pressing need" for treatment for Parkinson's disease

A new drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease is being trialled to establish if it is safe.

The trial is being led by Cambridge University researchers and the city's Addenbrooke's Hospital.

Currently there are no therapeutics to alter the progression of the disease, the university said, but it is hoped the drug dapansutrile may slow it down.

There was "a pressing need" for treatment, said principal research associate Dr Caroline Williams-Gray.

Addenbrooke's Hospital is taking part in the study

Parkinson's disease can cause tremors, balance problems and slow movement.

These symptoms arise after substantial loss of the dopamine-producing cells in an area of the brain known as the substantia nigra.

The 12-month trial, which is funded by an award from charity Cure Parkinson's, will involve 36 people with the disease being given dapansutrile tablets.

The trial hopes to establish not only if the drug is safe for people to take, but also if it reduces inflammation of the brain.

Dr Williams-Gray, who is also an honorary consultant neurologist at Addenbrooke's, said: "There is a pressing need for a specific treatment, such as dapansutrile, which targets the most relevant aspects of the immune activation pathway in Parkinson's, without causing general immunosuppression and leading to unwanted side-effects."

The work is supported by the Neuroscience Theme of the Cambridge Clinical Trials Unit and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.