BA Therapeutics is on France doing news studies and "has applied for an international patent for the use of a diuretic, Bumetanide a blocker of the chloride ions importer NKCC1, in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease"
"Six PD patients treated by STN DBS and suffering from disabling FOG were included (age 61 ± 12 yrs., 4 males, disease duration 23 ± 7 yrs., duration of STN DBS 9.6 ± 2.9 yrs., with good to excellent improvement (CGI-Patient) 1 yr after lead implantation, dopamine replacement treatment 640 ± 310 mg LED. Bumetanide was titrated until 1 mg bid [making the total daily dose 2 mg]. All patients complained from a polyuria leading two patients to withdraw from the trial. ...After 3 months of bumetanide treatment: SWS completion time performed in the OFF-drug stage decreased (49.2 ± 23.2 s vs. 61.2 ± 20.6 s at baseline, p = .03)and gait assessed on the Giladi's questionnaire improved (7.6 ± 3.5 vs. 14.6 ± 1.5). No significant changes on the MDS-UPDRS III in the OFF or ON-drug condition were observed."
So this could be useful if a patient is willing to put up with the effects of a diuretic. As for the rest of us, we will have to wait until a more selective drug is developed. That will be a significant advance.
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