2026: reflecting on the last year’s research progress and looking at what’s ahead

If 2025 taught us anything, it is that science rarely travels in a straight line. It was a year of stark contrasts—long-awaited answers that closed some doors, and bold new initiatives that kicked others wide open. As we stand in January 2026, looking back at the last 12 months offers a clear view of where the search for a cure stands, and more importantly, where it is going next. 2025: The Year of Hard Truths and New Beginnings The headline story of 2025 was undoubtedly the conclusion of the Exenatide-PD3 trial. For years, the community had pinned significant hope on this diabetes drug (Bydureon) as a potential way to slow the progression of the condition. In February, the results were finally published, and they were difficult to hear: the drug did not meet its primary endpoint. It did not slow motor progression better than a placebo over the 96 weeks. While this was a heavy blow, it was also a moment of crucial clarity. Negative results are not failures; they are signposts that stop us from going down the wrong path. They allow resources to be redirected instantly to other promising candidates. And crucially, the door on this class of drugs (GLP-1 agonists) is not shut. The success of its "cousin" drug, lixisenatide, in a separate Phase 2 trial (LixiPark) suggests there is still potential in this biological pathway, but perhaps we need more potent versions or to target it differently. While one chapter closed, a massive one opened. April 2025 marked the official launch of the ASPro-PD trial, the Phase 3 study of ambroxol. This is a world-first. We are testing a common cough syrup component to see if it can clear toxic waste from brain cells in 330 people with Parkinson's. Unlike previous trials, this is large, definitive, and targets a specific mechanism (the GCase enzyme). Seeing recruitment ramp up last year was a major morale boost—it means we are now in the final stage of testing for this repurposed drug. 2025 also saw the EJS ACT-PD platform shift into high gear. This is the UK’s "clinical trial on steroids"—a multi-arm system that allows researchers to test multiple drugs simultaneously against a single placebo group. It cuts years off the traditional timeline, and last year saw it fully operational, recruiting participants and acting as a funnel for the most promising treatments. 2026: The Year of Precision and Speed So, what does 2026 hold? If last year was about setting the foundations, this year is about acceleration and precision. The buzzword for 2026 is SLEIPNIR. Named after the eight-legged horse of Norse mythology, this ambitious trial in Norway is set to begin recruitment early this year. It is designed for speed. SLEIPNIR will test up to three potentially disease-modifying treatments at the same time. It acts as a rapid-fire screening system: drugs are tested in short, sharp studies to see if they actually reach the brain and hit their targets. Only the winners move on. It is a ruthless, efficient way to find therapies that work. We are also expecting to see the ripple effects of the UDCA (liver drug) research. Following the success of the 'UP Study', which showed the drug was safe and boosted energy batteries (mitochondria) in brain cells, 2026 will likely bring news of the next phase. The focus is shifting towards larger trials to prove if this biological boost translates into slowing the condition down. Finally, 2026 will be defined by genetics. The focus on GBA1 (targeted by ambroxol) and LRRK2 (targeted by new inhibitors from companies like Denali) is sharpening. We are moving away from treating "Parkinson's" as one block and moving towards treating your specific type of Parkinson's.