Cholesterol reducing drug could positively affect Parkinson’s

A trial has begun in the UK to see the effects of cholesterol lowering drug, Simvastin, in those afflicted with Parkinson’s.

Taking place across 21 centres across England and spearheaded by Plymouth University, almost 200 people will take part. People with Parkinson’s and who are not taking statins are invited to take part in the trial.

The chief investigator for the trial, Dr Camille Carroll, said: “It is encouraging to see new compounds that are already approved as being safe for use in man being trialled for use in Parkinson's.

“There have been few innovations in the treatment of Parkinson's for over 40 years and for the more than 127,000 people living with the condition in the UK, the results of this trials programme could lead to new and highly effective treatments in the armoury of medications to tackle Parkinson's.”

It is estimated worldwide between 10 and 20 million people are living with Parkinson’s – a number expected to double by 2030.

This trial is part of The Cure Parkinson’s Trust’s Linked Clinical Trials Programme. Annually, compounds are selected by an international panel of Parkinson’s experts and patient advocates to prioritise drugs for repurposing in Parkinson’s.

Sam Hatfield, chief executive at The Cure Parkinson’s Trust, told Laboratory News “these drugs are selected based on the likely impact on the lives of people living with Parkinson’s.  We expect to be funding further trials later this year on a number of drugs used in other conditions, but which we have identified as being potentially effective if repurposed for use in Parkinson’s.

“The speed at which the drugs prioritised by our international scientific committee move into clinical trials primarily depends on securing the funding and finding the right centre for the trial. If [this trial is] successful, we hope Simvastatin can then be prescribed for use in Parkinson’s,” Hatfield added.