Possible cure for Parkinson's?

[soccertese]

one gets a little suspicious when a "headline" like that doesn't show up on other news services.

[Dianna_Wood]

http://www.nwpf.org/News.aspx?Item=3734

[cbrf1wr]

This looks very promising. Privately held company so there will not be any leaks on the final results of the trial before they decide to publish them. I would not be surprised at all to see this company purchased by one of the major pharmaceutical companies before they publish if the results are positive. Everyone keep your fingers crossed hoping this one is for real.

[Debi Brooks]

GDNF and Neutrin are a class of proteins called "trophic factors" or "growth factors" with a long history of positive data in pre-clinical testing (where delivery isn't a challenge). TF's have been in/out of human trials for over 10 years...first GDNF (Amgen and others) and now NTN (Ceregene). The challenge has been interpreting mixed results (some responders but failed trials since end points not met). MJFF, Kinetics Foundation, and CPT have been the sustaining the field by not only funding trials in the factors but working on improved delivery tools.

MJFF has been funding a second phase II trial (the first one failed but had some promising aspects) with higher doses over a longer period. The results are due in May (this is a double blind placebo controlled trial so no one will know results until then including the company and the funders like MJFF). Once the analysis is complete, Ceregene will be forthcoming. If positive, they will seek additional capital for a phase III.

How this field view is useful.

Debi