The investigational drug SNT 4728 was tested in 41 people with isolated REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder (iRBD) – a sleep disorder in which people act out their dreams, often vigorously or even violently – which is a strong clinical predictor of future Parkinson’s disease and related conditions.
After 12 weeks of treatment, 20 out of 30 patients receiving active treatment showed reduced markers of inflammation – measured using a nuclear brain scan* – in the putamen, a core region of the brain implicated in hallmark symptoms of Parkinson’s disease including slowing of movement, rigidity and tremor.
*Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging was used to measure translocator protein (TSPO), which increases when immune cells in the brain become activated, providing an indication of neuroinflammation.
The multicentre clinical study was led by Parkinson’s disease researcher Professor Simon Lewis, of the Macquarie University Brain Institute and Clinic.
“Progression to symptomatic Parkinson’s disease can take more than a decade in people with iRBD, so finding a measurable change after just three months of treatment is noteworthy,” said Professor Lewis.
The first drug in its class, SNT 4728 (also known as PXS-4728A) is a neuro-targeted anti-inflammatory that blocks two enzymes implicated in brain inflammation: semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO B).
“A statistically significant reduction in TSPO signal in the putamen is encouraging and suggests SNT 4728 may be modulating inflammatory pathways in the brain that are involved in the disease.”
“Currently no drug has been shown to stop or slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease, so the ability to modulate inflammation early in a cohort with this prodromal condition would represent a key strategic shift in management.”
Professor Lewis presented the preliminary findings this morning during the Clinical Breakthroughs session at the International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders in Seoul, South Korea.