AVICENA REPORTS PARKINSON'S STUDY DATA

Avicena Group has announced the results of a Phase II study designed to evaluate whether further study is warranted for PD-02, a proprietary Avicena drug candidate, and the antibiotic minocycline, as potential treatments for Parkinson's disease. Data demonstrated that neither PD-02 nor minocycline was found to be futile as compared to predetermined thresholds, suggesting both agents may be worthy of further consideration as potential therapeutics.

This randomized, multicenter, double-blind trial enrolled 200 early, untreated Parkinson's disease patients into three different treatment arms (PD-02, 10 g per day; minocycline, 200 mg per day; or placebo). After twelve months of daily treatment, investigators found that the rate of disease progression for both PD-02 and minocycline was lower than the threshold for futility, as measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Additionally, PD-02 was found to be safe and generally well-tolerated by the subjects during this study.