Small trial of Bemdaneprocel, which aims to replace dopamine-producing neurons, raises hope for treatment
The loss of dopamine-producing neurons with Parkinson’s causes symptoms including a tremor, slow movements and muscle stiffness. Photograph: David Davies/PA
Scientists have reported early success in a trial of an experimental cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease, raising hope for patients.
Bemdaneprocel therapy is at an early stage, and the year-long trial involved just 12 patients, but the positive outcome is viewed as significant after decades of setbacks in the hunt for an effective treatment. Developed by BlueRock therapeutics, a subsidiary of the pharmaceutical company Bayer, it was shown to be safe and the data gave a tantalising suggestion that patients may have benefited.
“The data from this phase 1 open label study are extremely encouraging,” said Claire Henchcliffe, a neurologist at the University of California, Irvine, who was one of the study’s principal investigators. “While this is a small open label study, meeting the study’s primary objective for safety and tolerability along with initial improvements seen in clinical outcomes represents a great step forward. The hope now is that these trends continue and translate into meaningful benefit for people with Parkinson’s disease in controlled clinical trials.”
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