Hospital da Luz Coimbra has initiated its first clinical trial integrating an international study in the field of Parkinson’s disease , envisaging globally the inclusion of approximately 900 patients. The trial is conducted in various research centres, seven of which located in Portugal. At Hospital da Luz Coimbra, the study is led by Ana Morgadinho Carvalho , from the Neurology Service, and is in the process of active recruitment of patients with Parkinson’s disease in the initial stage. This is a phase 3 multicentre randomized double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial, with the main purpose of assessing the efficacy and safety of a monoclonal antibody intravenously administered. The study includes participants under stabilized therapy for symptomatic monitoring and aims to evaluate the potential of such approach in the modulation of mechanisms associated to the disease’s progression. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative pathology affecting millions of people worldwide and about 20 thousand in Portugal. It has significant impact on the quality of life of patients and respective families. Despite advances in the available therapies, need persists to develop strategies capable of altering the course of the disease, and this trial intends to make a contribution in that sense opening the way to new therapeutic approaches. Clinical trials are fundamental to scientific knowledge advancement and access of patients to innovating therapies. Participation in this international study represents a milestone for Hospital da Luz Coimbra, reinforcing its integration in the clinical research of Luz Saúde group and contribution to international studies. In the photo above, a few elements of Hospital da Luz Coimbra team involved in this project: Carlos Cabral (management centre), Ana Marques (pharmacist), Tânia Fernandes (nurse), Raquel Botellero (nurse), Ana Morgadinho Carvalho (neurologist), and Diogo Carneiro (neurologist).
