PD-MIND

Individuals with Parkinson's disease experience greater difficulties with memory and concentration compared to others of the same age. Such issues are referred to as cognitive symptoms and may include difficulties in concentrating, planning, making decisions, or recalling words. If the symptoms are not severe enough to cause problems in daily life, they are often described as "mild cognitive impairment." Currently, there is no medical treatment for mild cognitive symptoms in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Of all the potentially new medications being investigated in the early stages of development, only about 10% proceed to clinical trials, and of these, only approximately 20% achieve regulatory approval. Nevertheless, compounds that are dropped along the way may still hold value in research, and in some cases, they can be "re-purposed" – that is, used for the treatment of other diseases than the one for which they were originally developed.

AZD0328 is a new medication with a possible positive effect on mild cognitive difficulties in individuals with Parkinson's disease. The medication increases the activity of alpha-7 nicotinic receptors. The activity of these receptors is reduced in parts of the brain in individuals with Parkinson's disease. The medication has already been tested on animals, healthy volunteers, and individuals with schizophrenia.

The PD-MIND study was planned to be conducted in several European countries and included imaging diagnostics, clinical, and biological investigations. The aim was to examine the extent to which AZD0328 could be a safe, effective, and well-tolerated treatment for this patient group, as well as to help inform the design of future clinical studies.

The study has concluded.