PDtrials March 2010 - Announcing Seven New Clinical Trials!

[rayilynlee <rayilynlee@xxxxxxx>]

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Ray
Rayilyn Brown
Past Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation



From: Diane Wyshak=20
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 5:05 PM
To: ray ; Dr. Kong=20
Subject: Fw: PDtrials March 2010 - Announcing Seven New Clinical Trials!



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From: PDtrials=20
To: dianewyshak@xxxxxxxxxxx=20
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 5:08 PM
Subject: PDtrials March 2010 - Announcing Seven New Clinical Trials!



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                    Parkinson's Clinical=20
                   Research Newsletter =20
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                  March 2010
                 www.PDtrials.org
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                  Greetings!
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                  Thank you for signing up to receive the PDtrials =
Parkinson's Clinical Research Newsletter. This regular email newsletter =
provides you with information on Parkinson's disease (PD) clinical =
trials that are actively looking for participants, as well as news on =
Parkinson's research and treatments.=20

                  PDtrials is a collaborative initiative of Parkinson's =
organizations and is dedicated to increasing awareness and education =
about Parkinson's clinical trials. Please contact us if you would like =
more information about this effort.


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                  The QE3 Study: Finding Ways to Slow the Progression of =
PD=20
                    Dr. Flint Beal =20
                  By Flint Beal, M.D.

                  Although tremendous advances have been made in the =
treatment of Parkinson's Disease (PD), they have mostly been focused on =
symptomatic improvement.  Currently, available treatments address =
tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement experienced by people living =
with Parkinson's. However, they do not have any effect on slowing the =
progression of the illness and treating the underlying disease process.  =
This is a major area of therapies development for people living with =
Parkinson's.  If one could slow the disease progression, one could avoid =
many of the long range complications of PD such as dyskinesias and =
eventually perhaps cognitive impairment.=20

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                  New Clinical Trials =20
                  Study of Rasagiline as Add-on to Dopamine Agonists in =
the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease=20
                  Dopamine agonists are increasingly used as first-line =
therapy for those who are newly diagnosed with PD. As the disease =
progresses, dopamine agonists alone do not fully control the symptoms of =
PD and additional dopaminergic therapy is needed. Three hundred sixty =
participants at many sites around the U.S. will be enrolled in this =
study based on need for additional PD symptom control despite dopamine =
agonist treatment, and will be dispensed rasagiline or matching placebo =
in order to assess the efficacy of rasagiline as add-on treatment to =
dopamine agonist therapy in people with early PD not optimally treated =
on dopamine agonists. Learn more.=20
                  Singing in Groups for Parkinson's Disease (SING-PD)
                  The main purpose of this study is to find out if =
singing in groups helps the voice and speech problems related to PD more =
than speech therapy without singing. The investigators are using =
standard measures of symptoms before and after therapy to look for =
improvement. This study will involve weekly treatment sessions where 32 =
participants will receive training in vocal exercises from a =
speech-language pathologist with expertise in PD, as well as =
instructions for structured home practice. Learn more.

                  A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of IPX066 =
in Advanced Parkinson's Disease
                  This is a study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of =
an experimental drug, IPX066 in advanced PD. Four hundred twenty =
participants will be randomly selected to orally take either IPX066 or =
regular carbidopa-levodopa (CD-LD) treatment. The duration of this study =
is approximately 22 weeks. Learn more.

                  A Study of Rating Scales for Dyskinesia in Parkinson's =
Disease
                  Dyskinesias, or involuntary jerking movements, are =
troublesome problems for many people with PD, and because dyskinesias =
cause various degrees of difficulty for people with PD, the rating of =
dyskinesias remains a scientific challenge.  This study will examine a =
wide gamut of available rating scales to determine which one(s) detect =
change during dyskinesia treatment. Establishing excellent measurement =
tools of dyskinesias will allow future treatments to be evaluated in a =
maximally effective manner. This will be a double-blind, randomized =
trial of 60 participants administered with amantadine or placebo for 8 =
weeks. Learn more.=20

                  Study of Naltrexone for Impulse Control Disorders in =
Parkinson's Disease
                  Impulse control disorders (ICDs), including compulsive =
gambling, sexual behavior, buying, and eating, are increasingly =
recognized as a significant clinical problem in PD. Dopamine agonist =
(DA) treatment is thought to be the primary risk factor for the =
development of ICDs in PD. People with PD may be reluctant to =
discontinue DA treatment due to the motor benefits derived from =
treatment, so they often have chronic symptoms. Forty-eight PD =
participants with an ICD will be treated either with naltrexone or =
placebo for a period of eight weeks. The study will assess if naltrexone =
improves ICD symptoms in PD and is well tolerated. Learn more.

                  Colonoscopic Screening for Autonomic Pathology in =
Parkinson's Disease
                  The purpose of this study is to determine whether the =
abnormal protein build-up seen in the brains of people with PD and =
dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is also present in the nerves that line =
the intestine. This information would guide future research designed to =
diagnose people at the earliest stage of these diseases. Such =
information could help with research on new therapies designed to slow =
progression of (or even prevent) PD and DLB. This study will recruit 70 =
participants in Utah with PD or DLB, as well as people (over age 50) who =
do not have a neurologic condition. Learn more.

                  Study of Rasagiline Mesylate in People with Multiple =
System Atrophy of the Parkinsonian Subtype (MSA-P)
                  Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a neurodegenerative =
disease marked by a combination of symptoms affecting movement, blood =
pressure, and other body functions; hence the label "multiple system" =
atrophy. The purpose of this study is to test the clinical effect of =
rasagiline on people with MSA of the parkinsonian subtype (initials =
symptoms are similar to PD). Forty study participants around the country =
will receive either rasagiline mesylate or matching placebo for 48 =
weeks. Learn more.=20

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                  Smoking Years Key Factor in Lower Parkinson's Risk=20
                  Several studies have shown that smokers have a lower =
risk of developing PD. A new study shows that it's how many years of =
smoking a person has under their belt -- rather than how much they smoke =
every day -- that matters. "Smoking is bad for you and no one should =
advocate smoking just for prevention of Parkinson's," Dr. Honglei Chen =
of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research =
Triangle Park, North Carolina, one of the study's authors, emphasized in =
comments to Reuters Health. But the findings could help researchers who =
are trying to figure out the underlying cause of the disease.

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                  Melanoma Risk Higher in Parkinson's Patients=20
                  Exams of more than 2,000 people with PD found that =
about one percent currently had melanoma, Dr. John M. Bertoni of the =
University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and his colleagues found. =
Based on the findings, they say, people with the degenerative nerve =
disease should receive regular skin cancer screening.

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                  Parkinson's Patients Have Trouble Recognizing Emotions =

                  Scientists are beginning to find out why people with =
PD often feel socially awkward. Parkinson's patients find it harder to =
recognize expressions of emotion in other people's faces and voices, =
report two studies published by the American Psychological Association.

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                  Partners in Progress Forum to be Held in Chicago Area
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                  Chicago area residents are invited to attend an =
educational forum on April 24th sponsored by the Parkinson's Disease =
Foundation in collaboration with Northwestern University Feinberg School =
of Medicine, Rush University Medical Center and University of Chicago =
Medical Center. The forum, Partners in Progress: The Essential Role that =
People with Parkinson's Play in Finding New Treatments and a Cure, will =
feature presentations from leaders in Parkinson's clinical research as =
well as a panel of people with Parkinson's who will share their insights =
and perspectives on participating in clinical studies.
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                  RSVP by April 16 to Nicole Rabin at nrabin@xxxxxxx or =
(800) 457-6676.
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                  Saturday, April 24, 2010
                  1 PM to 3:30 PM
                  Chicago Marriott O'Hare and Suites
                  6155 North River Road
                  Rosemont, Illinois=20

                  Have You Participated in a Parkinson's Clinical Study? =
Join the Partners in Progress Honor Roll Today!  =20
                  If you have participated in a Parkinson's clinical =
study, we'd like to recognize your very personal commitment to help move =
Parkinson's clinical research forward by providing you with a PDtrials =
baseball cap as a token of our thanks and adding you to our Partners in =
Progress Honor Roll. Take a look at our Honor Roll of participants here, =
and if you would like to be included, contact us today!=20

                  PDtrials is Now on Facebook...Join our Network Today!  =
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                  PDtrials has launched a page on Facebook -- the =
world's most widely-used social networking website. Visit our new page =
to preview events hosted by PDtrials and our partners, view photos of =
our Partners in Progress Honor Roll, and join discussions about clinical =
research for Parkinson's. Visit us on Facebook here and become a Fan!=20
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                  In This Issue
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                  The QE3 Study: Finding Ways to Slow the Progression of =
PD

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                  New Clinical Trials

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                  Smoking Years Key Factor in Lower Parkinson's Risk

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                  Melanoma Risk Higher in Parkinson's Patients

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                  Parkinson's Patients Have Trouble Recognizing Emotions

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                  Partners in Progress Forum to be Held in Chicago Area

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                  Join the Partners in Progress Honor Roll=20

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                  PDtrials on Facebook

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                  PDtrials is led by
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                  In collaboration with:













                  PDtrials is advised by:









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