New 3-in-1 pill releases Parkinson’s drugs over a 24-hour period

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Author: Parkinson's Life editorsPublished: 17 February 2016

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A new pill containing three drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease has been developed by scientists at Nanyang Technology University (NTU) in Singapore. The pill is designed to release the medication slowly over a 24-hour period, which can reduce the number of times multiple Parkinson’s tablets have to be administered, benefitting patients and carers.

The new technology uses a patented micro-encapsulation process and is being tested in animal models.

Professor Ivy Ng, group CEO of SingHealth said: “This disease can be treated, but with three types of drugs that have to be taken three times a day. This can prove difficult and challenging for our elderly patients. NTU materials science engineers are working with our (National) Neuroscience Institute to look at how nano-medicine can package these three drugs into one pill that needs to be taken maybe just once a day, slowly releasing the medication over 24 to 48 hours.”

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Researchers have discovered that a molecule called BT13 could have potential to treat Parkinson’s. The study, conducted by scientists from the University of Helsinki, Finland, found that mice injected with the BT13 molecule had an increase in dopamine levels in the brain. Their findings also suggested that the molecule could lead to a new drug treatment to protect the brain cells that produce dopamine. Dopamine helps coordinate movement, but people with Parkinson’s have normally lost between 70 and 80% of the brain cells that produce the neurotransmitter when they are diagnosed with the condition. Professor David Dexter, Deputy Director of Research at Parkinson’s UK – which co-funded the study – said: “People with Parkinson’s desperately need a new treatment that can stop the condition in its tracks, instead of just masking the symptoms. “More research is needed to turn BT13 into a treatment to be tested in clinical trials, to…

Students develop wearable device to track Parkinson’s tremors

A wearable device has been developed to monitor Parkinson’s tremors and their severity through the tracking of body movements. The device – Tremor Tracker – was created by two students, Julie Gaudin and Elizabeth Hummel, at Louisiana Tech University, US, as part of a design class project. The students designed an algorithm using data recorded from volunteer participants at Rock Steady, a boxing programme for people with Parkinson’s. They then applied the algorithm to a GENEActiv, a wrist-worn device that has been scientifically validated for clinical research. Hummel, co-creator of the Tremor Tracker, said: “Through supervised machine learning, the device predicts whether a patient’s tremors are parkinsonian or non-parkinsonian, as well as the severity of these tremors. A quantitative analysis of parkinsonian tremors provides a more detailed disease state.”

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New 3-in-1 pill releases Parkinson’s drugs over a 24-hour period

News

Author: Parkinson's Life editorsPublished: 17 February 2016

Prep: Cook: Serves:

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New 3-in-1 pill releases Parkinson’s drugs over a 24-hour period

News

Author: Parkinson's Life editorsPublished: 17 February 2016

Prep: Cook: Serves:

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Global update

A chance to tell your story to the world

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Sexuality and Parkinson’s: the needs of caregivers

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PD in Practice

VIDEO: From diagnosis to treatment in Parkinson’s disease

‘Dopamine-boosting’ BT13 molecule could be used to slow Parkinson’s

Students develop wearable device to track Parkinson’s tremors

Can awakening dormant neurons reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms?

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