Clinical trial of a vaccine to slow the progression of early stage Parkinson’s

Researchers from pharmaceutical company AC Immune SA are investigating whether a new vaccine can slow the progression of early stage Parkinson’s.

Who

18 people with Parkinson’s:

• who are aged between 40 and 75
• currently taking either no medication for Parkinson’s OR taking Levodopa at 300 mg per day
• haven't had motor symptoms, such as tremor, falls or stiffness, for longer than 2 years
• aren’t known carriers of Parkinson’s gene mutations including PRKN, PINK1, DJ1 or LRRK2
• don’t experience temporary, involuntary inability to move
• whose symptoms affect either one side of the body, or if symptoms affect both sides of the body, do not experience any balance problems
• have no history of cancer, brain surgery, hallucinations, or delusions

What

• You will be asked to attend 1 screening visit at the research site. This visit will involve giving blood samples, an MRI scan, a Lumbar Puncture and a DAT Scan. This will determine whether you are eligible for the study.

• If you are eligible to take part in the trial you will begin the treatment period. This involves 11 visits to the research site over 74 weeks (roughly 1.5 years)

• The length of each visit will vary between 1 and 10 hours. You’ll be able to split the longer visits over multiple days if you wish

• During the treatment period you will be randomly assigned to receive either the active vaccine or a placebo (a dummy treatment)

• After the treatment period you will be asked to attend 3 follow-up research site visits

• You will be reimbursed for travel up to £75 per visit. It may also be possible to reimburse travel for a higher amount, please contact the research team to discuss this

You can find more information in the participant information sheet.