An experimental drug called safinamide improves movement in patients with early Parkinson’s disease, researchers report.

“Safinamide is a novel (nerve-protecting drug) combining several properties of potential benefit in Parkinson’s disease,” Dr. R. G. Fariello, of Newron Pharmaceuticals, Milan, Italy, and colleagues write in the medical journal Neurology.

In their study, the team examined whether safinamide improves symptoms in patients with moderately severe Parkinson’s disease. The study included 172 patients who were randomly selected to receive high-dose safinamide, low-dose safinamide, or an inactive “placebo” for 12 weeks.

Participants were considered treatment responders if they experienced a 30 percent or greater improvement on a standard test of Parkinson’s symptoms.

In the high- and low-dose safinamide groups, 38 and 31 percent of subjects were treatment responders, respectively. In contrast, the percentage of treatment responders in the placebo group was 21 percent.

In a related analysis, the authors found that safinamide seemed to magnify the benefits of a different anti-Parkinson’s drug.

SOURCE: Neurology, August 24, 2004.