Parkinson’s UK shared information about an opportunity to take part in a trial for a new Parkinson’s drug.
The LUMA study: testing the safety and effectiveness of a medication to delay the progression of Parkinson’s (This is a phase 2b study which will help the researchers understand how effective and safe the drug is).
Researchers from Biogen Inc, an American biotechnology company, are investigating a study drug called BIIB122 to see if it can slow the progression of Parkinson’s. The drug is thought to lower the activity of a protein called LRRK2, which has been linked to the onset of symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Who do the researchers need? 640 people diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the past 2 years, who are:
- aged between 30 and 80 years old
- and have never taken a prescribed medication for their Parkinson’s
What is involved? First, you’ll be asked to take part in a full-day visit to your local research centre (in Scotland that is Glasgow). This will assess whether you are eligible to take part in the research. Assessments can be spread over 2 days if requested.
If you are eligible to take part, you will be asked to take the BIIB122 drug in tablet form, or a placebo treatment (such as a sugar pill), every day for between 1 and 3 years. The length of your participation will be discussed with the research team after your first assessment.
You will be asked to attend a maximum of 29 research visits, to be discussed when you meet the research team. Some of these can take place over the telephone or online, and others will need to take place at your local research site or at your home.
These visits can range from 1 hour to 8 hours depending on visit type and assessments needed. The visits will include completing surveys, blood tests, physical examinations and one lumbar puncture.
You can also choose to have extra tests, such as brain scans, additional lumbar punctures and genetic testing.
For more information please read the participant information sheet.
Interested in taking part? Visit the Parkinson’s UK Take Part Hub for more information.