First patient dosed in phase 2 trial of novel therapy for early Parkinson’s disease

A precision therapeutics company announced that the first participant has been dosed in a phase 2 clinical trial of a non-dopamine selective modulator to treat those with early-stage Parkinson’s disease.

According to a release by Cerevance, the ASCEND (A novel Selective Compound to ENable Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease) study expects to determine the safety and efficacy of CVN424 in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study featuring 60 participants aged 30 years and older given either a once-daily dose of either CVN424 at 150 mg or placebo over 12 weeks.

The study’s primary endpoint will be the ability to improve PD motor symptoms and impact daily activities as measured by parts II and III of the Movement Disorder Society’s Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). The study will also employ several digital health technologies to provide objective measures of disease progression or lack of disease progression, the company said.

Cerevance further stated that data from the phase 2 study will inform design of the planned phase 3 study, which is expected to assess CVN424’s ability to delay disease progression.

“We are delighted to announce the commencement of our ASCEND study in individuals who have recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and not yet received levodopa treatment,” Cerevance CEO Craig Thompson stated in the release. “With ASCEND, we take a significant step closer to providing patients with an innovative, safe, and well-tolerated treatment that addresses multiple facets of this disease."