Neuroprotection Exploratory Trials in PD (NET-PD)

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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a slowly but relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disorder resulting in a time-dependent worsening of clinical symptoms. Anti-PD drugs effectively ameliorate most of the major parkinsonian signs and symptoms in a majority of patients. However, traditional drug therapies do not modify the progressive deterioration of motor function and functional disability worsens over time. Thus, disease modifying drugs that can slow clinical progression, enhance repair of damaged neurons, restore or enhance function of residual parts of the dopamine (DA) system are much needed. Since disease progression is generally slow, treatment with compounds that target multiple pathogenic mechanisms can be implemented over a relatively long period of time.The NET-PD multicenter trial is aimed at testing the efficacy of potential neuroprotective compounds in early stage PD patients. Compounds that are ascertained to be effective in the Futility studies will be tested in large double-blinded placebo control studies. The Neurodegeneration and Clinical Trial Groups of the NINDS are requesting applications for new centers to collaborate in clinical trials to test potential neuroprotective agents. We are proposing to become a NET-PD center. The Movement Disorders Center at University of Kentucky serves the greater Lexington area, a primarily urban community and the largely rural, 63-county area of central, eastern, and southeastern Kentucky. In addition, we treat several PD patients (-25) who reside in West Virginia and Southern Ohio. We follow -600 PD patients and we diagnose on average 5 new PD patients per month. Therefore, we expect to be able to enroll 1-2 early stage PD patients per month into the Pilot Trials.