A major study has been announced to test whether a cough medicine slows down Parkinson’s disease.
Early studies suggest that the drug, called Ambroxol, appears to remove harmful proteins from the brain that are linked to the degenerative disease.
There are currently no treatments that can combat the neurological disorder, which affects cells in the part of the brain that controls body movements.
Experts say the new study is the closest thing to developing an effective treatment for Parkinson’s.
UCL launches large two-year clinical trial to determine whether a common cough medicine can delay the onset of Parkinson’s disease
The drug ambroxol – which comes in both tablet and syrup form – is already used to relieve coughs by clearing mucus in the lungs of patients with respiratory diseases
Ambroxol – which comes in both tablet and syrup form – is already used to relieve coughs by clearing mucus in the lungs of patients with respiratory diseases. But it also increases the levels of a protein called glucocerebrosidase, known as GCase, in the brain.
GCase is critical in removing a harmful substance called alpha-synuclein, which scientists say builds up in the brains of Parkinson’s patients and is responsible for symptoms such as involuntary tremors, slow movements and stiff and inflexible joints.
The new study, which will be carried out in up to 12 UK hospitals, will recruit 330 Parkinson’s patients. Half of the participants will receive ambroxol for two years and the other half will receive a placebo drug. At the end of this period, the researchers will analyze the progress of Parkinson’s disease in the two groups and look in particular at the participants’ quality of life and quality of movement.
There are more than 140,000 people living with Parkinson’s in the UK. Doctors are still unsure what the cause is and there is currently no cure, but patients can take medication that relieves the main symptoms.
Professor Anthony Schapira, a neurologist at University College London and the study’s principal investigator, says: “This will be the first time that a drug that specifically targets a cause of Parkinson’s disease has reached this level of study.”
Professor David Dexter, deputy director of research at the charity Parkinson’s UK, added: ‘People with Parkinson’s urgently need new and better treatments. If this study is successful, Ambroxol has the potential to be available in years rather than decades.’
The drug also increases the levels of a protein called glucocerebrosidase, known as GCase, in the brain. GCase is critical in removing a harmful substance called alpha-synuclein, which scientists say builds up in the brains of Parkinson’s patients and is responsible for symptoms such as involuntary tremors, slow movements and stiff and immovable joints
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
