A team of scientists is now recruiting subjects for a study that may slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD) as well as decrease the chance of developing the illness.
The Safety of Urate Elevation in Parkinson’s Disease Phase III study (SURE-PD3) specifically applies to a compound that could improve these outcomes for patients.
The study is now open to enrolling people who have received Parkinson’s diagnoses in the past three years. The goal is to recruit 270 people from 60 clinical sites based in the U.S., up from the 26 that are now recruiting. The study will last for two years.
Previous studies have demonstrated that people who have higher antioxidant urate levels are not as likely to develop PD. Moreover, if they do develop PD, their illnesses progress much more slowly than other patients’. The compound being tested, inosine, can be used in the body to convert into urate.
The researchers, who received funding from The Michael J. Fox Foundation, believe that inosine doses could raise the level of urate in the brain and blood. These doses are both tolerable and safe for the body.
Inosine is currently sold as a dietary supplement, but health professionals have not yet approved of inosine for treating PD. When people take inosine without professional medical supervision, patients can experience gout, kidney stones, high blood pressure and other serious side effects.
