Boehringer Ingelheim announces PD study results

Germany-based Boehringer Ingelheim has announced the first results of its pan-European study to investigate depressive symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Researchers discovered that depression was highly prevalent in PD patients, observed in 27 per cent of cases. However, despite the fact that sufferers were treated with antidepressants, 39 per cent continued to exhibit sustained depressive symptoms.

The pharmaceutical company also discussed the use of pramipexole in treating PD as the first study findings were announced. Marking a decade of research with pramipexole, which Boehringer markets as Mirapexin, the session was opened by Dr Alessandro Banchi, chairman of the company’s board.

Dr Banchi outlined the group’s commitment to research into the role of neurology in PD, while Professor Anthony Schapira, of Royal Free & University College Medical School, commented on the latest understanding of the neurodegenerative pathway, along with the role of dopamine in PD.

“Dopamine agonists – which act directly on the dopamine receptors in the brain – are the most extensively studied class of drugs in PD and are widely used in the treatment of PD symptoms,” Professor Schapira said.

He added that in preliminary studies these drugs showed a slow in progression, “but this needs to be confirmed by additional trials which are ongoing”.