Study Will Test Infusion Therapy in Parkinson’s Patients

Infusion therapy, injections of apomorphine, may help “rescue” Parkinson’s patients from bouts of slowness or freezing up of movement when levodopa drugs wear off and the next dose hasn’t taken effect, according to a recent report in the Augusta Chronicle.

Patients are currently being enrolled to participate in studies across the United States to test the safety of infusion treatments and determine if this therapy can help improve quality of life for those living with Parkinson’s. The infusion method was approved for use in the United Kingdom more than a decade ago.

For the past 50 years, levodopa has been the standard treatment for P.D.  The drug converts to dopamine when it reaches the brain, compensating for diminished levels of the neurotransmitter.  Dopamine-producing cells are damaged and die as a result of the disease, often causing problems with walking and other movement as well as tremors.  Over time, the effectiveness of Parkinson’s drugs used to treat symptoms often become less effective or long lasting.

It is not fully understood what causes Parkinson’s but researchers have linked specific gene mutations with an increased risk for the disease.  Most patients are diagnosed over the age of 60 and it is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the U.S.;  Alzheimer’s Disease has the highest rate of incidence.

Deep brain stimulation, which blocks electrical impulses using a device similar to a pacemaker, has also been used with some success to help smooth out movement in Parkinson’s patients.  Electrodes are implanted in the brain and electrical pulses are sent from a generator implanted in the chest.  Surgery does carry risks including stroke, infection or brain hemorrhage and will not prevent the progression of the disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

For more information about the infusion study, contact Dedi McLane, clinical research assistant, at 706-721-4912.  The clinical study is funded by US WorldMeds, developers of apomorphine continuous subcutaneous infusion.