‘Extraordinary and life-changing’ Parkinson’s drug

A new treatment for Parkinson’s disease has been trialled in the UK, and the results are, in the words of the first patient’s wife, ‘extraordinary and life-changing.’ And what’s more, it can reverse Parkinson’s in mere days. Damien Gath, 52, had endured years of daily involuntary shaking and pain from the debilitating condition, but became one of the first people in the UK to receive a new drug, Produodopa. His wife Amanda filmed him before and after the treatment, showcasing its almost miraculous effects. ‘I almost can’t believe that’s me in the video,’ Gath said. ‘For the last three years I have been shaking uncontrollably for two to three hours a day, every day. It’s early days but now I shake for five or 10 minutes a day.’ The new treatment has given him, and his wife, his quality of life back. ‘I can go to the pub without people thinking I’m just really drunk,’ he said.

Produodopa, a combination of foslevodopa and foscarbidopa, helps manage Parkinson’s symptoms by maintaining a steady flow of dopamine in the brain, which is essential for controlling movement. The drug is administered continuously, 24-hours a day via an infusion pump, which eliminates the fluctuations caused by oral drugs. "The massive difference is that there are now no fluctuations," Mr. Gath said. His wife added that the treatment has enabled them to enjoy life again without the challenges and misunderstandings previously caused by his condition. Dr Nishantha Silva, Parkinson’s lead at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust who oversaw the new treatment, called it ‘a new era in the management of advanced Parkinson’s disease.’