In 2012, Cure Parkinson’s initiated the International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) programme to focus on identifying and prioritising potentially disease-modifying therapies for Parkinson’s.

The first drug to be prioritised within the programme by the iLCT committee was a diabetes medication called exenatide. Since then, Cure Parkinson’s has subsequently championed the repurposing of this drug and in 2017 the results of a Phase ll clinical trial justified this support, as participants on treatment exhibited a stablisation of motor features over the 48 week study.


Follow on from these promising results, Cure Parkinson’s is supporting a crucial Phase lll clinical trial of exenatide (Bydureon – the brand name for exenatide) which is currently being conducted across the UK. In addition, other research groups and biotech companies have begun developing clinical programmes around drugs similar to exenatide. 

Also, a new clinical trial exploring exenatide in Parkinson’s has been initiated in Sweden. This study will be a Phase ll double blind, randomised trial investigating once-per-week injections of either Bydureon or a placebo treatment, for 18 months. The primary assessment in this study will be a brain imaging technique which evaluates the uptake of glucose into neurons. 

We are encouraged to see yet another clinical study assessing exenatide and adding to this growing pool of important data.

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