Research 2026

2026 is a key year for Parkinson's research. Many important results and decisions came this year, some good and some disappointing. Here is my overview, as of October 2026.

The good news

New nerve cells from stem cells: approved in Japan

For me, this is the most exciting development. Researchers grow precursors of dopamine nerve cells from stem cells and implant them directly into the brain, right where the dopamine is missing. In April 2025, Kyoto University showed in Nature that the transplant was safe, the cells survived and produced dopamine, and motor function improved in several patients. In March 2026, Japan became the first country in the world to approve such a cell therapy, under the name Amchepry. The approval is temporary for now and comes with conditions, for patients whose medications no longer work well enough.

A decisive Phase 3 trial is also underway with bemdaneprocel from the company BlueRock. The first small study with twelve patients now shows good safety over more than three years and signs of fewer periods of poor mobility. It is not meant yet for people in the early stage like me. But for the first time, there is a therapy that replaces lost nerve cells.

Stem cells in Europe: the STEM-PD trial from Lund

In July 2026 the Swedish-British STEM-PD trial published its first results in Nature Medicine (Nature Medicine). Eight patients with moderate Parkinson's received dopamine precursor cells made from embryonic stem cells in both sides of the brain. After twelve months the main goal was reached: the treatment was safe. There were no graft-induced involuntary movements. PET imaging showed more dopamine activity where the cells had been placed. Six of seven participants were able to reduce their medication considerably. One participant died of a lung infection that, according to the researchers, was not directly related to the cells. Efficacy will only be assessed after three years. A phase 2 trial is planned to start in late 2026 or early 2027 (Lund University). For me the trial shows: what Japan started also works in Europe.

Tavapadon approved in the US

On September 25, 2026, the FDA approved AbbVie's tavapadon under the name Juvmo: a tablet taken once a day that acts only on the D1 and D5 receptors and should therefore cause fewer side effects. Tavapadon relieves symptoms, but it does not stop the disease. It is expected to be available in the US from October 2026. In Europe, approval is still pending. More under Tavapadon.

Solengepras: a new drug that works without dopamine

On 7 October 2026, the US company Cerevance presented the results of the phase 3 ARISE trial at the International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders in Seoul. 341 patients with motor fluctuations who continued their Parkinson's medication received 75 mg or 150 mg of solengepras or a placebo once a day for twelve weeks. With 150 mg, daily OFF time fell by about 37 minutes more than with placebo, and everyday functioning improved. Solengepras does not act on dopamine but blocks the GPR6 receptor in the striatum, which would make it a completely new class of drug. Dyskinesias were rare (4.4 versus 1.8 percent); headaches, sleep problems and nausea were more common. The company now wants to discuss an application for approval with the FDA (Cerevance). Solengepras relieves symptoms; as far as we know today, it does not slow the disease.

The vaccine against Parkinson's: well tolerated

The Swiss company AC Immune is testing ACI-7104 (the VacSYn study), a vaccine that makes the immune system produce its own antibodies against clumped alpha-synuclein. In September 2026, after 100 weeks, the company reported that the vaccine was well tolerated by the 34 participants, and all 25 vaccinated people produced antibodies that also reached the spinal fluid (9 other participants received a placebo). Whether it slows the disease is still open, since this first part was not designed to show that. The company wants to discuss a larger second part with the FDA in early 2027. I find this approach fascinating.

Buntanetap: my favorite among the new drugs

Buntanetap from Annovis Bio is a tablet meant to slow the production of several toxic proteins at once: alpha-synuclein, beta-amyloid, tau and TDP-43. In a Phase 3 trial with 523 patients in the early stage, buntanetap did not meet its primary goal in the overall group. The company reported improvements in patients who had been diagnosed more than three years earlier and in cognitive abilities. Subgroup results like these still need to be confirmed in further trials (Fierce Biotech). An open-label follow-up study over three years is currently running; by August 2026, about 270 of the planned 500 patients had been enrolled. A Phase 3 trial in Alzheimer's is running in parallel (Annovis Bio). So far, the company has not announced an application for approval in Parkinson's.

Hopledo approved in the EU

In August 2026, the EU approved Hopledo, a capsule with levodopa and carbidopa that releases part of the drug quickly and part of it over a longer period. It is meant for people in whom levodopa no longer works evenly throughout the day. In the approval study with 506 patients, it gave about half an hour more good time per day than conventional levodopa, with about three doses a day instead of five. In the US it is already available as Crexont, and in Europe it is to be launched gradually from October 2026 (NeurologyLive). It is an improved form of a well-known drug, not a new therapy.

Early detection

Clumped alpha-synuclein can now be detected in spinal fluid, skin or blood, often years before the first symptoms. This matters, because new therapies probably work better the earlier they start.

How Parkinson's spreads in the brain

Researchers led by Prof. Stephen Strittmatter at Yale University examined about 4,400 proteins on the surface of cells (Nature Communications). They wanted to find out through which entry point misfolded alpha-synuclein gets into healthy nerve cells. Two proteins stood out: mGluR4 and NPDC1. Both sit on the dopamine nerve cells that die in Parkinson's. Mice lacking one of them were protected from the cell loss. This is basic research in mice. But for the first time there is a concrete target to slow down the spread itself.

Cells from the patient's own body: Aspen Neuroscience

The US company Aspen makes the nerve cells from the patient's own skin cells, so no anti-rejection drugs are needed. In March 2026 it reported for 8 patients after twelve months a good two hours more good time per day and clearly better motor scores, without severe dyskinesia (press release, BioSpace). These are company data with very few patients.

The setbacks

• LRRK2 inhibitor BIIB122 (LUMA study): in May 2026, it failed to slow progression in a phase 2b study with 648 patients in the early stage, even though the drug inhibited its target in the body by more than 90 percent. Biogen and Denali have stopped development for non-hereditary Parkinson's. For people with an LRRK2 gene mutation, the smaller BEACON study continues, with results expected in the first half of 2027 (NeurologyLive).
• BIA 28-6156 for GBA1 carriers (ACTIVATE study): in June 2026, it failed to slow progression in 273 patients, and development was stopped.

• Diabetes drugs (GLP-1): After the slightly positive lixisenatide result in 2024, the large British exenatide study in 2025 was unsuccessful. The excitement has cooled.

• Azathioprine (AZA-PD): The British study with 66 patients, designed to dampen the immune system, missed its primary goal in February 2026. There were signs of benefit only in subgroups (Cure Parkinson's).

• Levodopa pump ND0612: The FDA rejected approval for the second time in October 2025 (Michael J. Fox Foundation).
• NOPARK, a disappointing result: At eleven Norwegian centres, 410 patients with early Parkinson's took 500 mg of nicotinamide riboside (vitamin B3) twice a day or a placebo for one year, blinded. The results were published in JAMA on 8 October 2026. With nicotinamide riboside the MDS-UPDRS worsened by 2.45 points on average, with placebo it stayed practically the same. The difference of 2.72 points in favour of placebo is small but statistically significant. NAD metabolism rose clearly, but the dopamine scan showed no difference. The researchers led by Prof. Charalampos Tzoulis advise people with Parkinson's against taking nicotinamide riboside or other NAD boosters outside of trials (EurekAlert). I have stopped taking it.

What is still running

• Prasinezumab: Since late 2025, this antibody against alpha-synuclein has been tested in a large Phase 3 trial with about 900 patients. Results are expected toward the end of the decade.
• Ambroxol: The old cough medicine is being tested in the UK in the phase 3 trial ASPro-PD with 330 patients over two years, and patients are still being enrolled until 2027 (UCL). In Australia, a study with ambroxol and doxycycline is running that is no longer taking new participants. When results will be available has not been made public.
• Fexofenadine: Tanta University in Egypt is testing it in 46 patients in addition to their usual treatment. According to the trial registry, the study is due to end in December 2026, so I do not expect results before 2027.
• Lithium: a pilot study at the University at Buffalo with 20 patients and 20 mg per day. According to the registry, it was due to end in September 2026; results have not been published yet.
• Gluten-free diet: At the world congress in Seoul in October 2026, a Czech study with 57 patients over twelve months was presented. Mobility stayed the same, while thinking skills and quality of life were slightly better in the diet group. The study is small and has not yet been published in a journal (NeurologyLive).

• CNM-Au8: a drinkable liquid made of tiny gold crystals from the US company Clene, meant to boost the energy metabolism of nerve cells. The Phase 2 study REPAIR-PD showed more energy in the brain. Clene is currently focusing on approval for ALS. The company has not published a timeline for further Parkinson's trials.

• Prasinezumab, background: The previous PADOVA study with 586 patients was published in The Lancet in May 2026. It narrowly missed its primary goal, but motor worsening occurred on average about eleven weeks later than on placebo (Newcastle University).

• Dapansutrile (DAPA-PD): In March 2026, the first participant in Cambridge received either the drug or a placebo. 36 patients are taking part, blinded for six months; after that, all of them can take dapansutrile for six months. The drug blocks the NLRP3 inflammation system in the brain (Cure Parkinson's).
• ARV-102: a drug from the US company Arvinas that breaks down the LRRK2 protein instead of just blocking it. In a phase 1 study with 24 patients over 28 days, LRRK2 fell in the spinal fluid, and certain rapid eye movements became more accurate depending on the dose. The study was not designed to show an effect on symptoms (Arvinas).

New technology

Since 2025, focused ultrasound may also be used on both sides, one after the other, in the US. For deep brain stimulation, there is now an adaptive version that adjusts to the current brain signals. More under Focused Ultrasound.

My conclusion

To this day, there is no drug that has been proven to stop Parkinson's. But there have never been so many serious approaches at the same time. I hope one of them arrives in time.