- A 12-week clinical trial involving 341 patients across the UK, US, Europe, and Australia has shown that a new daily pill named solengepras significantly reduces debilitating symptoms for people living with Parkinson's disease.
- Developed by US biopharmaceutical company Cerevance, solengepras works by blocking the GPR6 receptor rather than increasing dopamine levels, offering a non-dopaminergic approach designed to avoid side-effects like nausea, hallucinations, and involuntary limb movements.
- Patients taking the higher 150mg daily dose experienced nearly 37 minutes less daily "off" time—periods when standard dopamine medications fail to function effectively—compared to a placebo group, as well as an extra 36 minutes of trouble-free "on" time.
- Participants reported improved daytime alertness and greater ease with essential daily tasks such as eating, dressing, and moving, with the medication being well tolerated and showing only minor side-effects like headaches and urinary tract infections.
- Cerevance intends to discuss the trial findings with the US Food and Drug Administration to plan future steps, with experts suggesting the treatment could potentially be prescribed to patients within three years.
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