State of Care for Patients With Parkinson Disease: William Ondo, MD

Author(s):

The professor of neurology at Weill Cornell Medical School commented on the available treatments for Parkinson disease, as well as ongoing therapeutic development.

“There’s a series of neuroprotective agents that are being looked at—the antibody therapies against α-synuclein are exciting, and some of the LRRK2 inhibitors are potentially exciting. As someone that's done this for 28 years, I've been disappointed a number of times…so we're still hopeful that a phase 2b and then a phase 3 study of a neuroprotective agent will some time show irrefutable benefit in Parkinson's disease.”

Data presented at The International Parkinson and Movement Disorders (MDS) Society Virtual Congress 2021, September 17-22, addressed recent developments in Parkinson disease (PD) research. William Ondo, MD, director, Movements Disorders Clinic, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute; and professor of neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, sat down with NeurologyLive to discuss his involvement with presentations on the pivotal (CTH-300) and long-term (CTH-201) studies of apomorphine sublingual film (Kynmobi; Sunovion), as well as current and prospective treatments for patients with PD.^1-3

While symptomatic treatments “continue to be refined and improved upon,” Ondo commented specifically on the potential of neuroprotective therapies and his hope that a treatment will be identified to address underlying illness for this patient population.

For more coverage of MDS 2021, click here.