Information for patients

Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a chronic progressive disease of the nervous system and the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder. It is caused by the death of various cells in the central nervous system, especially dopamine-producing neurons. Its symptoms can often be alleviated by medication and therapy. At present, however, there is no therapy that can also prevent the causal progression of the disease, i.e. slow down or even stop nerve cell death. A promising compound, which could offer this property, will be investigated in the ROCK-PD study.

Fasudil - a Rho-kinase inhibitor

Several international research groups have shown that compounds that inhibit the endogenous protein Rho-kinase (ROCK) (so-called "ROCK inhibitors") have had beneficial effects in cell culture and animal models of Parkinson's disease. The drug fasudil is a ROCK inhibitor, which has been approved for the treatment of certain types of brain hemorrhage in Japan since 1995. Therefore, the medical properties and side effects of Fasudil are well known. It has been shown to be a well-tolerated drug.

ROCK-PD - Study Information

The ROCK-PD study is designed to test the safety, tolerability and short-term efficacy of fasudil in patients with Parkinson's disease. The aim is to clarify whether the drug fasudil can be investigated in further studies for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in the future.

The study medication - either Fasudil or a placebo - is to be taken orally over a period of three weeks. Visits to the study center are required twice before taking the drug, twice during and twice after taking the drug to check safety, tolerability and efficacy by means of clinical examination and laboratory tests. In total, the clinical trial lasts 50 days for participating patients.

How to participate in the study

Clinical trials are subject to a very high level of due diligence. This includes the fact that participating patients must meet very specific criteria. If you have Parkinson's disease, are not taking medication to treat Parkinson's disease or have been on stable medication for more than 6 weeks, and are between 30 and 80 years old, you may be eligible to participate.

If you are interested in this study, please contact our study secretariat. We will be happy to refer you to a study center near you.