A brand new weekly injectable drug might rework the lives of greater than eight million individuals dwelling with Parkinson’s illness, doubtlessly changing the necessity for a number of every day tablets.
Scientists from the College of South Australia (UniSA) have developed a long-acting injectable formulation that delivers a gradual dose of levodopa and carbidopa – two key drugs for Parkinson’s – over a whole week.
Their findings have been reported within the journal Drug Supply and Translational Analysis.
The biodegradable formulation is injected underneath the pores and skin or into muscle tissue, the place it steadily releases the treatment over seven days.
Parkinson’s illness is the second most typical neurological dysfunction, affecting greater than 8.5 million individuals worldwide. At the moment there isn’t any remedy and the signs – tremors, rigidity and gradual motion – are managed with oral drugs that have to be taken a number of occasions a day.
The frequent dosing is a burden, particularly for aged sufferers or these with swallowing difficulties, resulting in inconsistent treatment ranges, extra unintended effects, and diminished effectiveness.
Lead researcher Professor Sanjay Garg, from UniSA’s Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation, says the newly developed injectable might considerably enhance remedy outcomes and affected person adherence.
Our purpose was to create a formulation that simplifies remedy, improves affected person compliance, and maintains constant therapeutic ranges of treatment. This weekly injection might be a game-changer for Parkinson’s care.
Levodopa is the gold-standard remedy for Parkinson’s, however its brief life span means it have to be taken a number of occasions a day.”
Professor Sanjay Garg, from UniSA’s Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation
UniSA PhD pupil Deepa Nakmode says the in-situ implant is designed to launch each levodopa and carbidopa steadily over one week, sustaining constant plasma ranges and decreasing the dangers related to fluctuating drug concentrations.
The injectable gel combines an FDA-approved biodegradable polymer PLGA with Eudragit L-100, a pH-sensitive polymer, to attain a managed and sustained drug launch.
Intensive lab assessments confirmed the system’s effectiveness and security:
- Greater than 90% of the levodopa dose and greater than 81% of the carbidopa dose was launched over seven days.
- The implant degraded by over 80% inside every week and confirmed no important toxicity in cell viability assessments.
- The formulation might be simply administered by a tremendous 22-gauge needle, minimising discomfort and eliminating the necessity for surgical implant.
“The implications of this analysis are profound,” Prof. Garg says. “By decreasing the frequency of dosing from a number of occasions a day to a weekly injection is a serious step ahead in Parkinson’s remedy. We’re not simply bettering how the drug is delivered; we’re bettering sufferers’ lives.”
Prof. Garg says the expertise may be tailored for different power situations resembling most cancers, diabetes, neurodegenerative issues, ache administration, and power infections that require long-term drug supply.
The system might be tuned to launch medication over a interval starting from a couple of days to a number of weeks relying on therapeutic wants.
UniSA scientists hope to begin scientific trials within the close to future and are exploring commercialisation alternatives.
Supply:
Journal reference:
Nakmode, D. D., et al. (2025). Growth of an in-situ forming implant system for levodopa and carbidopa for the remedy of parkinson’s illness. Drug Supply and Translational Analysis. doi.org/10.1007/s13346-025-01892-y.
