Disease-modifying therapies for Parkinson disease: lessons from multiple sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neurodegenerative Diseases
• Therapeutic Development

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) has seen significant advances in disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), including for progressive forms.
• Parkinson disease (PD) currently lacks approved DMTs, with treatments offering only symptomatic relief.
• There is a critical unmet need for effective DMTs in Parkinson disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss strategies for advancing DMT development in PD by leveraging lessons from MS.
• To identify common challenges in DMT development for both PD and MS.
• To propose areas for future research in PD therapeutics.

Main Methods:

• An international symposium of MS and PD experts was convened in November 2022.
• Discussions focused on therapeutic targets, preclinical models, disease classification, clinical trial design, and outcome measures.
• This article synthesizes symposium discussions into a roadmap for PD DMT development.

Main Results:

• Key areas for exploration in PD include therapeutic targets, preclinical models, disease subclassification, and optimized clinical trial designs.
• Lessons learned from MS DMT development offer valuable insights for PD research.
• Common challenges across PD and MS require collaborative solutions for advancing DMT discovery.

Conclusions:

• Applying insights from MS DMT development can accelerate the search for effective Parkinson disease treatments.
• Addressing shared challenges in neurological disease research is crucial for therapeutic progress.
• Further research and collaboration are needed to develop disease-modifying therapies for Parkinson disease.