Parkinson's disease drug therapies in the clinical trial pipeline: 2015–2024

Abstract

Parkinson's disease drug therapies in the clinical trial pipeline: 2015-2024 The development of new drugs for Parkinson's disease (PD) is crucial for improving the quality of life for those diagnosed with the condition. This report provides a review of clinical trials evaluating drug therapies for PD between 2015–2024. Trial data were obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a publicly available website maintained by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which provides information on clinical trials conducted worldwide. The analysis showed that 444 clinical drug trials were initiated during the 10-year period, of which 133 were still ongoing at the end of 2024. 42% of the trials were in Phase 1, while 46% were in Phase 2 testing. Only 12% of the trials were in Phase 3, the final step in clinical testing. The overall analysis looked at the breakdown of trials evaluating treatments to manage symptoms (63%) and those aiming to slow the progression of the disease (37%). Trials testing therapies to treat symptoms targeted an array of motor and non-motor symptoms, with existing treatments for non-motor symptoms recognized as a significant unmet need. The 444 trials tested 281 drug interventions, as many were tested in multiple trials. 52% of the trials were evaluating new drugs, 33% were testing drugs approved for other conditions and had potential to treat PD, and the remainder were exploring reformulations of existing PD drugs (different delivery methods). The analysis also explored how the therapies work by categorizing them based on their mechanism of action and biological targets. Fourteen drugs in the analysis were approved to treat PD symptoms, but there are still no treatments to modify the course of the disease.