HI COLE60,

I RESPECT YOUR POST, ALTHOUGH I HAVE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE. IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO INTRODUCE A NEW DRUG.

FOR SLOWING DOWN THE PROGRESSION OF PARKINSON'S CONDITION, I THINK, FEEL AND BELIEVE WE ALL HAVE THIS ABILITY. IT'S CALLED HARD WORK AND EXERCISE, TOGETHER WITH LARGE AMOUNTS OF ATTITUDE AND, POSITIVE ATTITUDES AT THAT.

I GAVE UP LOOKING FOR QUICK EAST FIXES A LONG TIME AGO. REASON BEING - THERE ARE NONE.

I ACCEPT THAT SLOWING DOWN THE PROGRESSION IS MY RESPONSIBILITY.
WE WILL HAVE A CURE SOMETIME, YET I FEEL WE MUST EXERCISE PATIENCE, AS IT COULD WELL BE A LONG WAY OFF ALAS.

AS I USUALLY PROMOTE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND, FEELING I HAVE DONE THIS, I HAVE TO BE BRUTISHLY HONEST AS RECENT LITERATURE AND, REPORTS AND FEED BACK FROM THE RECENT WORLD PARKINSON'S CONFERENCE OFFERED NO INDICATION THAT A BREAK THROUGH FOR A CURE WAS NEAR. STILL, WE LIVE IN HOPE.

Stewart / ALIVEO
>

O just saw that Cole! I am thinking of talking to my Neuro about it! Will be interested in what he says.

Well, I don't know how long the third stage of trials last, but I'd guess we'd be looking around 2 to 5 years before this could get approved by the FDA for PD use. They expect to *start* trials next year.

But it is the last stage before FDA approval. And the drug is already on the market for treating blood pressure.We'll see what happens.

Glad it made it to stage 3 in the clinical trials. Got to keep the hope and faith...Every new or repurposed drug helps, even if it's not the cure for which we all long. Thanks for sharing the link, Cole50.

Isradipine is already approved by FDA for high blood pressure - so those with PD who have high blood pressure may be able to give it a try before the trial is done. Might be worth talking to our doctors about.

I have read the brief reports announcing the study, but have not seen anything that helpfully discusses the effect of isradipine on PD. anyone read anything?

Beekeeper

Except from the announcement:

"Isradipine is a calcium channel blocker currently prescribed to treat high blood pressure. Data from large studies note a lower incidence of PD among people who take this drug.

In these epidemiological studies there was approximately 30 percent less risk of developing Parkinsons in the subgroup of patients treated with this class of drugs for blood pressure, said Tanya Simuni, MD, director of the Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorders Program at Northwestern University and principal investigator of this study."

Sounds like the drug will not do the trick for everyone (30%?), but in some cases could slow or stop the progression of PD symptoms. That it works has already been verified by previous trials. The third one is apparently to verify what a safe and effective dose is.

I don't fully know the medical licensing rules, but I imagine a doctor prescribing this drug for PD prior to FDA approval could lose his license over it. So one isn't likely to get too many takers on getting that drug short of having high blood pressure.

As I relatively new PD'er with a 40+ year history of difficult-to-control blood pressure, I can tell you the news about isradipine got my attention. I am disappointed that there is not more information available about how it specifically effects PD.

Docs can prescribe for "off-label" use, but I doubt many would be willing to try until there are more data... or at least some favorable sounding anecdotes. I have a call in to my cardio-guy to have chat about the prospects.

I found this link to an early discussion that gives more info on what the drug does. Also, it isn't simply a duplicate of the current blood pressure medication (not all PD patients have high blood pressure) but a refined version of it that only targets the "channel" that allows calcium into the dopamine receptor area, and causes damage.

http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2012/10/parkinsons-breakthrough-could-slow-disease-progression.html

I also stumbled across a current phase 2 clinical trial going on using nicotine to slow the progression of PD.

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01560754?term=NIC-PD&rank=1

Update. I had a good chat with my cardioman about isradipine. His answer: "Not ready for prime time."

MJFF: Is it problematic that the study didnt show any efficacy for the drug?

JE: Certainly, any time a study can show that a drug may be efficacious, it helps to gain support for an impending follow-up study. In this case, gaining support for the next phase along the pipeline, phase 3, is never an easy task, and showing real data that the drug might have an effect on slowing the disease would have made that task an easier one.While the science behind the rationale for isradipine in PD inspires optimism, there is still a lot of work to do to validate the approach in a clinical setting. (Source: Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research)

There is a great deal of research underway but there is no cure. The only drug that has some proven neuro-protection thus far is Azilect. This research also suggests that although genetic and environmental factors can hasten its onset, PD is programed into all humans, if we live long enough we may all get it.

Resources:

10/06/2007
Calcium, aging and neuronal vulnerabilty in Parkinson's Disease
PUB MED NIH
D. J. Surmeier...et al et al et al......The Dr heading up study of Isradipine.


BT

This analysis revealed that isradipine produced a dose-dependent sparing of DA fibers and cell bodies at concentrations achievable in humans, suggesting that isradipine is a potentially viable neuroprotective agent for PD.

Rees et al reviewed the arguments in favour of the use of anti-hypersensitive drugs such as Calcium Channel blockers in the treatment of diseases such as PD. Their conclusion:-

There is currently a lack of evidence for the use of antihypertensive drugs for either the primary or secondary prevention of PD.
(PMID: 21515375 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] PMCID: PMC3235730)


BT....Filed under Isr....2011

sorry for being "cryptic" in the above, but intention is to be simultaneously agreeing wholeheartedly with aliveo, providing avenues of approach to Research for Bee-man, pulling stuff from my file on Ca channel Block that sources dates from present back to 1990's,, exposing the ongoing controversial research back and forth on drugs including IS........and taking the opportunity to update my file on Ca channel issues.......drugs drugs drugs=$$$=PD which is just in fact another way people "pass away" (PD). If your looking for answers my inadequate suggestion is to... first: look for the fountain of youth or the holy grail....orrrrrrrrr.... research how to be effective members of our communities in all ways, help people, try not to promote things like pills which hundreds of thousands either have no access to or cannot afford, and with which the mountain range of evidence suggest more of the same same same
same.....restructuring current meds ALLOWS NEW PATENTS=$$$$$$$$$$$...and yes the slight chance we will all find a cure and live long enough to "pass away" from something else.....

it works! it doesnt work, inadequate conclusions, it causes cancer...no dementia....no wait its 200$ a month......no wait.....were sorry you gambled away your wifes house, no wait youre addicted to sex, no wait.....150,000$+ surgery = the answer, no wait it does not = your answer.

i have it, my uncle has it and DBS (failed miserably), my cousin has it also my grandfather had it , all DX'd roughly 10 years earlier than the predecessor.....i suggest you spend your energy giving of yourself to the children of the future,, being selfless, being good parents/grandparents/greatgrndprnts..... working in soup kitchens, growing organic gardens, raising bees......is it chemicals? genetics? nature? nurture? stress? coffee? sex? no sex?.....yeeeeesh............


BT...no mission...just trying to make a difference in tangible ways and stand up for my idea of whats right....maybe not yours....thats ok. peace and love to you all.......

Yeah, obviously not ready for prime time, since it is still in clinical trial stage. That's a given on any medication not approved to be on the market yet.

Time will tell.