A medication approved to treat various respiratory diseases and that has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in preclinical studies is the focus of a new clinical trial for Parkinson’s disease.

The trial is based at Royal Free Hospital in London and focuses on ambroxol, which is typically used to treat respiratory conditions. Ambroxol is a secretolytic agent used in the treatment of respiratory diseases associated with viscid or excessive mucus.

“Our preclinical work suggests ambroxol may be an effective Parkinson’s treatment thanks to its ability to correct a dysfunctional protein that is prevalent in people carrying a genetic mutation associated with inherited Parkinson’s cases,” said principal investigator Anthony Schapira, MD, DSc. “What is particularly interesting is the potential for ambroxol also to benefit Parkinson’s patients without these genetic mutations.”