Save Parkinson’s clinical research. Take part today

When the pandemic hit back in 2020, a number of active Parkinson’s trials had to close their sites, pause their research to keep people safe and redeploy staff to the coronavirus (COVID-19) frontline. 

Now, 2 years on, these trials are open and recruiting but their time is running out to recruit all the people needed to ensure they can continue.

What are clinical trials?

Clinical trials are the most costly and lengthy part of the whole research process. They play a vital role in demonstrating new treatments are both safe and effective. The data collected from these studies is required for new treatments to be licensed and made available to people with Parkinson’s.

Parkinson’s UK spends around £10 million on research each year. With clinical trials being closest to delivering life changing new treatments, we support numerous studies addressing all aspects of Parkinson’s, from managing symptoms to slowing the progression of the condition. 

Without these trials, important new treatments could be delayed by years, or risk never being made available at all.

Could you take part?

There are 5 Parkinson’s UK-supported studies currently behind on their recruitment targets due to the coronavirus pandemic and at risk of closure. We are urging people from the Parkinson’s community to come forward. 

Each trial is looking for people who meet specific criteria, for instance you may experience anxiety, falls, hallucinations or low mood. But it’s not just people with Parkinson’s who can take part. The AND-PD study, for example, is also looking for people who do not have the condition.

In total, Parkinson’s UK and other funders have invested several million pounds in these trials. If they have to close early, this will be wasted, and will delay the delivery of potentially life changing new treatments for Parkinson’s. 

Choose a trial to take part in

The studies you can take part in are listed below and sorted by symptom. For full details of each study, what’s involved in taking part, and how to register your interest directly with the research teams, please follow the links below.

Daily living and drooling

This trial is no longer recruiting participants. A trial of a wrist-worn device assisting daily life of people with Parkinson's as well as seeing if it can manage drooling. We have 4 months left to recruit around 3,000 participants.

Hallucinations

This trial is no longer recruiting participants. A trial looking at repurposing an existing drug to see if it can help with Parkinson's hallucinations (TOP HAT). It has 20 months left to recruit about 250 participants. 

Anxiety

Please note this trial has completed recruitment of people with Parkinson's and is now looking only for people without Parkinson's. A study looking to better understand anxiety in Parkinson’s (AND-PD). There are 9 months left to recruit around 130 participants. Discover more about the AND-PD study.

Low mood

Please note this trial has completed the recruitment of participants. A trial to test a potential treatment for low mood in Parkinson’s and to see if it can slow the progression of the condition (ADEPT-PD). It has 10 months left to recruit around 300 participants.