Avicena to progress PD-02 and minocycline

US drugmaker Avicena has reported encouraging results from a Phase II study designed to evaluate its proprietary drug candidate, PD-02, and the antibiotic minocycline, as potential treatments for Parkinson's disease.

According to the Palo Alto, California-based firm, data from the randomized, multicenter, double-blind, 200-patient, 12-month trial, demonstrated that the rate of disease progression for both agents was lower than the threshold for futility, as measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, suggesting that "both agents may be worthy of further consideration as potential therapeutics." Results from this study, which was sponsored by the USA's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, were published in the March 15 issue of the journal Neurology.