AAV2-hAADC for Parkinson's Disease (PDCS-01)
An Open-label Safety and Efficacy Study of AAV2-hAADC Administered by MRI-Guided Convective Infusion Using a Transfrontal Trajectory Into the Putamen and Caudate of Participants With Young Onset Parkinson's Disease
Who can join
As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.
- Age
- 18 Years to 75 Years
- Sex
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Compensation
- Not stated
Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.
What to expect
No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.
What participation involves
Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.
- Compensation
- Not stated
- Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
- Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
- Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
- Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.
About this study
In plain language
This study tests whether a gene therapy called AAV2-hAADC is safe and may help adults with Parkinson's disease. It is given into two parts of the brain to help turn more levodopa into dopamine, a brain chemical that is low in Parkinson's. The study is for people ages 18–75 whose symptoms began at age 50 or younger.
This study is looking at whether a gene therapy called AAV2-hAADC is safe and may help people with Parkinson's Disease. AAV2-hAADC is intended to increase the levels of dopamine in your brain. It contains a virus called adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) that has been modified to carry the genetic code for an enzyme called Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase, or AADC for short. In this study, AAV2-hAADC is delivered to two parts of the brain called the putamen and the caudate. Increasing the amount of AADC gene in these parts of the brain converts more levodopa into dopamine, the chemical that is lacking in PD.
Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.
Eligibility
Who can join
- Be age 18–75, with Parkinson's diagnosed more than 3 years ago and symptoms starting at age 50 or younger.
- Have Parkinson's with no known cause, with slow movement plus stiffness, shaking at rest, or trouble with balance.
- Meet study limits for movement problems when off medicine: a disease stage of at least 2.5 and a movement test score of at least 25.
- Have disabling movement problems and average at least 3 waking hours a day when medicine is not working well, recorded in a diary.
- Have responded clearly to Parkinson's medicine for at least 1 year, with at least 30% improvement on a movement test when taking it.
- Have stable symptoms and a steady medicine plan that the study doctor considers best for you for at least 4 weeks.
- Meet blood count, blood clotting, liver, and kidney test limits, and be able to understand consent and follow surgery and study rules.
- Be able to travel to visits alone or with a care partner. Agree to wait until after the 12-month visit for any surgery on the brain or nerves, including deep brain stimulation.
Who can't join
- Have another type or cause of Parkinson-like symptoms, major thinking or memory problems, or dementia.
- Have current or past psychosis beyond minor symptoms, severe depression within 5 years, certain current suicidal thoughts, or any past suicide attempt. Problems controlling urges or a substance use disorder within 2 years also exclude you.
- Have brain scan findings that make surgery unsafe, cannot have an MRI scan or its contrast dye, have a blood clotting disorder, or cannot stop blood-thinning medicines for at least 2 weeks around surgery.
- Have had gene transfer treatment, certain brain surgeries, or another brain surgery that could affect this study.
- Have a history of stroke, serious health problems or infections that make surgery unsafe, or conditions that could disrupt study testing. Cancer within 3 years is also excluded, except treated cancer that stayed where it started.
- Take long-term medicines that weaken the immune system or treatments that could affect results, including antipsychotic medicines, apomorphine, or levodopa infusion. Recent use of an experimental treatment may also exclude you.
- Be pregnant or breastfeeding, or be able to have children but unwilling to use barrier birth control, such as condoms, for 6 months after surgery.
- Be unable to complete diaries, travel, or attend long and frequent visits, including visits off medicine. Plan to join another treatment study within 12 months after surgery.
Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.
Official eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Male and female adults 18-75 years of age (inclusive), at the time of signing the informed consent. 2. Diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's Disease as defined by the following: a. Presence of bradykinesia PLUS any of the following: i. Rigidity ii. Resting tremor iii. Postural instability 3. Disease duration since diagnosis of \>3 years. 4. Patient reported symptom onset prior to the age of 50 (inclusive). 5. Modified Hoehn \& Yahr Staging ≥2.5 in the practically defined OFF medication state (≥ 12 hours from last dose of anti-parkinsonian medications) 6. Disabling motor complications with an average of ≥3 hours of OFF time per day during waking hours within 7 days of the screening visit as confirmed by the Parkinson's Disease (PD) diary. 7. International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS) Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part III (total motor) score ≥25 in the clinically defined OFF state. 8. Unequivocal responsiveness to dopaminergic therapy for a minimum of 1 year, including a 30% or greater improvement in the UPDRS III (motor score) between ON and OFF states, as determined by the Investigator after overnight withdrawal of Parkinson's medications. 9. In the judgment of the Investigator, a stable, optimal regimen of Parkinson's medications for at least 4 weeks prior to screening evaluation. 10. In the judgment of the Investigator, stable Parkinson's features and symptoms for at least 4 weeks prior to screening evaluation. 11. Laboratory values prior to surgery: 1. Platelets \>100E9/L (transfusion independent) 2. Prothrombin time (PT)/partial thromboplastin time (PTT) in normal range and international normalized ratio (INR) ≤1.3 3. Absolute neutrophil count \>1.5E9/L 4. Hemoglobin \>10.0 g/dL 5. Aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase \<2.5U/L × the upper limit of normal 6. Total bilirubin \<2.5 mg/dL 7. Serum creatinine ≤1.5 mg/dL 8. Hematocrit \>34% 9. White blood cell count \<12E9/L 10. Estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥30 mL/min. 12. Medically and cognitively capable of comprehending and signing the informed consent, as well as undergoing and complying with the surgical procedure and protocol requirements as determined by review of medical records, medical history, and clinical evaluation. 13. Ability to travel to study visits alone or able to designate a care partner who agrees to accompany the participant to study visits as determined by discussion with the participant, care partner (if applicable), and Investigator. 14. Agrees to defer any neurological surgery, including deep brain stimulation, until the 12-month study visit is completed. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Atypical or secondary parkinsonism, including but not limited to symptoms resulting from trauma, brain tumor, infection, cerebrovascular disease, other neurological disease, or to drugs, chemicals, or toxins, as determined by the Investigator. 2. Presence of clinically significant cognitive impairment as defined by a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score of less than 241 at screening and/or clinical diagnosis of dementia by Investigator based on MoCA diagnostic criteria. 3. Presence or history of psychosis, except for minor psychosis. 4. Presence of severe depression, as indicated by a BDI-II score \>28 within 5 years of screening evaluation. 5. Active suicidal ideation as indicated by positive response to items 4 or 5 on the screening C-SSRS, or any history of a suicide attempt 6. Presence of impulse control disorder, defined as a total score ≥10 on the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease-Rating Scale (QUIP-RS). 7. History of substance use disorder within 2 years of screening evaluation, as determined from interview with the participant and/or review of medical records. 8. Brain imaging abnormalities in the striatum or other regions that would substantially increase risk of surgery in the opinion of the investigator. 9. Contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or gadolinium (e.g., ProHance \[gadoteridol\]). 10. Coagulopathy or inability to temporarily stop any anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy for at least 2 weeks during the perioperative period. 11. Prior stereotactic brain surgery including lesioning procedures, deep brain stimulation, infusion therapies or any other prior brain surgery that could complicate the study procedure and/or negatively impact study evaluations as determined from participant interview, screening MRI, and/or review of medical records. 12. Prior gene transfer, as determined from participant interview or review of medical records. 13. History of stroke, poorly controlled or significant cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or any other acute or chronic medical condition that would unreasonably increase the risks of the study procedures, as determined from interview with the participant and/or review of medical records. 14. History of malignancy other than treated carcinoma in situ within 3 years of screening evaluation. 15. Clinically apparent or laboratory-detected infection (including acute or chronic scalp infection) at the time of screening or baseline evaluations or immediately prior to surgery that would be a contraindication to surgery. 16. Prior or current treatment with any investigational agent within 5 half-lives or 30 days (whichever is shorter). 17. Any factors, medical or social, which would likely cause the inability to comply with the procedures of the protocol, including completion of Parkinson's Disease (PD) diaries, frequent and prolonged study visits (including off medication visits) and travel, in the judgment of the Investigator. 18. Chronic immunosuppressive therapy, including chronic steroids, immunotherapy, cytotoxic therapy, and chemotherapy as determined by participant interview and/or medical record. 19. Any serious medical condition or abnormal finding on physical examination or laboratory investigation that would substantially increase the risks of the study procedures in the opinion of the investigator. 20. Any medical condition that is likely to lead to disability during the study and interfere with or confound study assessments (including but not limited to orthopedic conditions, spinal disorders, neuropathy, myelopathy, severe pulmonary or cardiac disease, and compromised nutritional states), as determined from interview with the participant and/ or review of medical records. 21. Pregnant and lactating women. 22. Male or female with reproductive capacity who is unwilling to use barrier contraception for 6 months after surgery. 23. Ongoing treatments that might interfere with interpretation of the study outcome, including antipsychotic medications, apomorphine, or levodopa infusion therapy (Duopa). 24. Plans to participate in any other therapeutic intervention study within 12 months after surgery.
Study sites (1)
OH
- The Ohio State University · Columbus, OH 43210Andrea Davis, MS · Study contact · OSUgenetherapyresearch@osumc.eduMore trials in Columbus