A lay summary written by Isabela Ramnarine & reviewed by Ian Coldicott.
Dyskinesia is a disorder characterised by involuntary, irregular movements. It is often seen in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) as it is caused by the long-term use of Levodopa- the medication most commonly used to manage PD symptoms. Currently, Amantadine is the most widely used medication to manage dyskinesia however this is not effective in all patients and is associated with side effects. This highlights the need to discover new treatments.
NLX-112 is a novel drug which has been approved for phase II clinical trials in order to investigate its effectiveness in reducing dyskinesia. NLX-112 works by targeting brain cells (neurones) that produce serotonin, a mood stabilising hormone. Serotonin cells convert Levodopa into dopamine (a chemical that coordinates movement) in an unregulated manner (Iderberg, 2015). This leads to an excessive release of dopamine, resulting in uncontrolled motor movements as seen in dyskinesia. It is thought that by inhibiting this interaction, symptoms can be controlled.
Previous research on animal models has shown NLX-112 to be effective in reducing dyskinesia without interfering with the positive effects of Levodopa (Iderberg, 2015; McCreary, 2106). Antidepressant and anxiety-reducing properties were also identified which provides promising evidence suggesting its effects in non-motor PD symptoms including mood and sleep disturbances as well (Iderberg,2015). NLX-112 was originally developed as a medication to target pain, therefore has already been put through phase I clinical trials confirming the safety and tolerability of the drug. As a result of this, it is able to move straight into a phase II clinical trial which will take place in the Karolinska Institute, Sweden in 2021. It will be tested on people with PD who experience dyskinesia. The biopharmaceutical company Neurolixis have already completed the drug development and pre-clinical tests. If these results can be reproduced in the clinical trial, NLX-122 has potential to improve the quality of life of many people with PD by reducing dyskinesia symptoms, thus enabling individuals to perform everyday tasks with ease.