The International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) programme

This unique programme of research – the brain-child of Cure Parkinson’s Director of Research, Dr Richard Wyse – screens multiple prospective new treatments for Parkinson’s.

Our International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) programme is a drug-repurposing initiative, focused on disease-modification in Parkinson’s, that operates year round. It brings together leading world experts in Parkinson’s to determine further underlying pathologies of Parkinson’s, and to discuss and debate the virtues of 20 or more promising drugs to decide which should be prioritised and managed into clinical trials.

The iLCT initiative already has momentum. There are now over 40 drugs prioritised, with many already in, or about to go in to, clinical trial. Our goal for the next five years is to ensure we can commit more potential treatments to trial for people living with Parkinson’s.

The Drug Prioritisation Process

The iLCT meeting occurs every year, and preparations continue year-round. The process starts by identifying the biological pathways of interest in what we know about the underlying pathology of Parkinson’s; we maintain a constant vigil on research being published which targets these pathways.

Once promising drugs have been identified, we begin exploring their basic characteristics. In most cases, for example, it is vitally important that a drug can access the brain by penetrating the blood brain barrier which protects it. It is also important to understand the safety and tolerability of the compounds being discussed. This rigorous selection process forms the basis of how Cure Parkinson’s decides which drugs should be tested in people. This has resulted in a clinical trial programme that involves many drugs now in clinical trials; some of which are about to start, some nearing completion and some, having completed, are moving quickly on to the next phase. We believe that the iLCT programme is currently the fastest way of bringing much needed and potentially curative treatments into the clinic for the Parkinson’s community.

Over the course of the year, Cure Parkinson’s discusses the case for each potential therapy with various biotech companies and academic researchers. It is important to appreciate that these therapies are experimental; in many cases, very little is known about their Parkinson’s potential.