Could a Parkinson’s injection be on the way?

It is still early days, but Australian researchers are hopeful a new, weekly injectable drug could one day become a treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
 
Developed by scientists from the University of South Australia, the long-acting injectable formulation delivers a steady dose of two medications, levodopa and carbidopa, over the course of a week.
 
The solution works to form an implant under the skin and, according to the researchers, the injectable gel combines an FDA-approved biodegradable polymer PLGA with Eudragit L-100, a pH-sensitive polymer.
 
During testing so far, they have found that more than 90% of the levodopa dose and 81% of the carbidopa dose were released over seven days, and that the implant degraded by more than 80% within a week and showed no significant toxicity in cell viability tests.
 
It found the formulation can be administered through a 22-gauge needle.
 
However, the technology still has a long way to go, with scientists yet to undertake clinical trials, which they hope to start ‘in the near future’.
 
Lead researcher Professor Sanjay Garg says he hopes the injectable could go on to improve treatment outcomes and patient adherence, with most patients currently managing their symptoms with oral medications taken several times a day.
 
He said this frequent dosing can lead to inconsistent medication levels, more side effects, and reduced effectiveness.
 
‘Our goal was to create a formulation that simplifies treatment, improves patient compliance, and maintains consistent therapeutic levels of medication,’ Professor Garg said.
 
‘This weekly injection could be a game-changer for Parkinson’s care.
 
‘Levodopa is the gold-standard therapy for Parkinson’s, but its short life span means it must be taken several times a day.’
 
He now hopes the study’s findings will be a ‘major step forward in Parkinson’s therapy’ and could one day be adapted for other chronic conditions which require long-term drug delivery, such as cancer or diabetes.
 
‘We’re not just improving how the drug is delivered, we’re improving patients’ lives,’ Professor Garg said.
 
In Australia, more than 150,000 people currently live with Parkinson’s disease making it the country’s second most common neurological disease after dementia.
 
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Parkinson’s disease