Amarantus BioScience launches Phase 2b clinical trial for eltoprazine to treat levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's

A key clinical trial has started testing a potential new treatment for one of the most challenging side effects of long-term Parkinson's management. Amarantus BioScience Holdings has opened its first clinical site and begun enrolling participants for a Phase 2b study evaluating their lead drug candidate, eltoprazine. The trial is underway at the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center of Boca Raton in Florida, a prominent research institution led by Dr Stuart Isaacson, who serves as the principal investigator. The study targets a specific issue called levodopa-induced dyskinesia. While levodopa is the most common and effective therapy used to replace lost dopamine in the brain, long-term use can lead to these involuntary, unpredictable, and jerky movements. This side effect impacts roughly 60% to 80% of people with the condition, often severely disrupting daily activities and lowering quality of life. Eltoprazine, originally developed for other uses and tested safely in over 680 people, works as a specific brain chemical regulator that might help calm these movements. This particular trial is a highly controlled study involving 60 participants. It uses a cross-over design where different doses of eltoprazine and a dummy drug, or placebo, are compared in the same individuals to find the safest and most effective dose. Researchers are tracking the effects using advanced rating scales, personal diaries, and wearable motion sensors. Following positive earlier data showing reduced peak movements and good tolerance, the team hopes this step will pave the way for a meaningful new therapy, with more trial sites expected to open across the United States and Europe.