[A picture of an old woman and a healthcare professional. Photo Credit to Pixabay]

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reveals that Lixisenatide, a drug commonly used to treat diabetes, shows potential in slowing the progression of Parkison’s disease.

According to the study conducted by the Network of French Parkinson’s Disease Expert Centers, Lixisenatide stops motor symptoms associated with Parkinson’s.

This discovery offers a potentially new way to treat Parkinson's disease, a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of people around the world with 25,000 new diagnoses every year.

Parkinson's disease presents with a vague range of symptoms, such as tremors, stiffness, and poor mobility, also characterized by the progressive loss of nerve cells in the brain.

Approximately 500,000 Americans suffer from this condition, which is currently incurable, though treatments exist to mitigate symptoms.

The medical community has been optimistic about glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1R agonists), a class of drugs initially used to treat type 2 diabetes and aid in weight loss.

Lixisenatide, an agonist of the GLP-1 receptor, regulates blood sugar levels in diabetes patients.

This class includes drugs like exenatide and the well-known Ozempic, which has gained attention for weight loss applications.

Based on earlier research showing that exenatide deferred Parkinson’s disease progression, a team of French researchers analyzed the effects of Lixisenatide.

The trial involved 156 patients diagnosed with Parkison’s within the last three years, aged between 40 and 76, with an average age of 60.

Divided into two groups of the same size, each group kept its regular mix of drugs for Parkinson's disease; one group received a placebo while the other group underwent daily Lixisenatide injections.

Over 12 months, researchers regularly assessed the patients’ motor symptoms to determine the drug’s impact on disease progression.

The outcomes were astounding.

Patients who underwent Lixisenatide experienced less worsening of motor symptoms compared to those on the placebo.

Even after the trial ended and additional medications were discontinued, the difference in symptom development still persisted.

Despite these encouraging results, the study noted some drawbacks.

Roughly 50% of Lixisenatide recipients reported nausea and 13% experienced vomiting.

The necessity for more studies to maximize dosage and reduce adverse reactions is highlighted by these gastrointestinal side effects.

Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the results published in The New England Journal of Medicine represent a promising advancement in the ongoing struggle against Parkinson's disease.

The implications of this study transcend Parkinson's disease; they also raise the possibility that GLP-1R agonists could be used in other therapeutic settings.

Millions of people afflicted by neurodegenerative illnesses have hope due to these results, even though further study is needed to understand the processes behind their neuroprotective properties.