Leukemia Drug Nilotinib Reverses Decline In Patients With Parkinson’s Disease
Charbel Moussa, Director of Georgetown’s Laboratory of Dementia and Parkinsonism, teamed up with Fernando Pagan, associate professor of neurology at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) who directs the Movement Disorders Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, have stumbled upon something remarkable.
They conducted a clinical trial using a leukemia cancer drug to treat parkinson’s disease. They presented the study’s findings at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Chicago on October 17.
The researchers used the cancer drug nilotinib, also known asTasigna® by Novartis, because of the drug’s ability to pass through the brain blood barrier and reduce Parkinson’s proteins in the brain that cripple cognition and motor skills.
Though the drug was able to combat Parkinson’s disease in its earlier and later stages, the drug was more effective in combating Parkinson’s in its earlier stages.
The researchers reported that three people in the study weren’t able to speak before receiving the drug and were able to hold conversations after receiving treatment. Another patient who was confined to a wheel chair was able to walk after receiving treatment.
Clinical trial participant Alan Hoffman said his Parkinson’s stopped him from doing anything around the house but the nilotinib treatments gave him a lot of his life back and he was able to do chores around the house that included taking out the garbage, setting the table, loading the washer and dryer, and even grilling.
Even though the use of the cancer drug clearly reversed the effects of Parkinson’s disease the researchers were concerned about safety, after all they were using a cancer drug.
The researchers used smaller doses than what is normally used to treat cancer. The researchers used 150 and 300 mg daily, compared to cancer treatment dosages than can go up to 800 mg daily.
The drug was well tolerated at the lower dosage and presented with no serious side effects.
Tags: cancer awareness
