HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PhotoPharmics today released the results of its multinational, double-blind, randomized controlled trial in Parkinson’s disease at the annual International Movement Disorders Society meeting in Hong Kong. The study is entitled “Double-blind controlled trial of Spectramax™ light therapy for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease patients on stable dopaminergic therapy.”
“Our study is the first long-term phototherapy trial with the objective of demonstrating the safety and efficacy of our proprietary Spectramax technology in improving the overall disease,” said Kent Savage, CEO of PhotoPharmics. “This poster presentation is a significant milestone for patients with Parkinson’s disease and showcases what may be the only adjunctive therapy to improve Parkinson’s disease symptoms on top of the dopaminergic medications that patients are likely already taking.
“At the Hong Kong conference, we will also be consulting with several leading movement disorders specialists to discuss next steps for introducing this new technology,” said Savage. “We will also be exploring additional human clinical trials to further investigate specific bandwidth phototherapy in neurodegenerative diseases.”
The 6-month study involved 92 highly heterogenous subjects who were treated for one hour in the evening. Subjects were assessed during the ON state. A clinically meaningful improvement was found in favor of the Active group over controls on disease severity as measured by the Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) (-8.0 LSM difference, p=0.07). Significance was found for the PDQ-39 (-5.7 LSM difference, p<0.05) and non-motor (MDS-UPDRS Part I = -2.5 LSM difference, p<0.01), with a trend on the ESS (-1.5 LSM difference, p=0.05).
“The circadian system is dysregulated in Parkinson’s disease, which shows a blunted circadian profile,” said Dan Adams, Science Officer for PhotoPharmics. “The circadian system exerts a major influence on our daily sleep and activity,” said Adams, “So improving circadian regulation should impact both motor and non-motor problems in Parkinson’s. We know that therapeutic light is the most powerful tool for circadian regulation, and based on our experience in treating circadian-related disorders with specific bandwidth phototherapy, we believe we can make a major difference in treating PD.”
The significant non-motor improvement seen by the patients is important, as limited options are available for non-motor problems in Parkinson’s disease. The study was conducted at three CNS or neurology clinics at the Vrije Universiteit Medical Center in Amsterdam, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and Aspen Clinical Research in Salt Lake City.
About the MDS/International Congress
The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS) is a professional society of over 7,000 clinicians, scientists and other healthcare professionals dedicated to improving the care of patients with movement disorders through education and research. The MDS gathers thousands of the field's clinicians, researchers, trainees and industry supporters on an annual basis at its International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders.
This year’s International Congress is taking place in Hong Kong, October 5-9, 2018. The meeting is being held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Visit www.mdscongress.org for more information.
About PhotoPharmics
PhotoPharmics is a privately-held, clinical-stage medical device company developing next-generation treatments for treating neurodegenerative disorders through the eyes. Company founders have 30+ years of research and experience in this field. They previously developed specialized light solutions now widely used to regulate circadian rhythms for seasonal affective disorder, sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression (acquired by Philips-Respironics in 2007).
Drawing from research and recent trials, PhotoPharmics is developing applications of specialized light across several neurodegenerative diseases. The company aims to make a clinically meaningful difference in patients’ lives by delivering safe and effective treatments. Learn more at www.photopharmics.com.
