NAD Replenishment Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease

17. des.

Potential breakthrough in neurodegenerative care.

Overview

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions worldwide. Current treatments are limited to symptom management, leaving an urgent need for therapies that can slow or halt disease progression. Our project explores Nicotinamide Riboside (NR), a precursor of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD), as a potential therapeutic breakthrough for PD and related disorders.

Key Findings and Research Progress

Initial clinical studies, such as the NADPARK trial, demonstrated that oral NR safely increases brain NAD levels, positively affects cerebral metabolism, and reduces markers of neuroinflammation in people with PD. These results nominated NR as a potential disease-modifying therapy for PD and established the foundation for subsequent, larger-scale studies.

The ongoing NO-PARK study - a multicenter Phase III clinical trial involving 400 people with PD - is now assessing the efficacy and long-term safety of NR. Results from this trial, expected by mid-2025, will provide pivotal insights into NR's potential as a disease-modifying therapy influencing disease progression.

Opportunity

This innovation addresses critical societal, and healthcare challenges and has the potential to reduce the global burden of PD in case of a positive study outcome. The PD market, valued at $3 billion and projected to double by 2028, presents significant commercial opportunities for transformative treatments. With our strong intellectual property portfolio and focus on an unmet clinical need, we’re now looking to attract pharmaceutical partners, offering both a competitive market edge and a chance to drive meaningful impact in neurodegenerative care.

Inventors

Prof. Charalampos Tzoulis, Haukeland University Hospital and University of Bergen

Dr. Christian Dölle, Haukeland University Hospital and University of Bergen

Publications and patents: