ABBV-951 is currently in clinical development for the treatment of motor fluctuations in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). PD is a progressive neurological disease which is caused by a loss of nerve cells in a particular part of the brain and a reduction in the levels of the chemical messenger dopamine. Loss of these nerve cells and a reduction in dopamine levels results in motor symptoms such as tremor, slow movement and muscle stiffness, which impact quality of life. As PD progresses, symptoms may re-emerge between doses with current treatment options, this is known as “wearing off”.
ABBV-951 is administered under the skin (subcutaneous infusion) to deliver therapeutic quantities of the drugs levodopa and carbidopa. Levodopa can be converted by the body into dopamine in order to supplement the low levels of dopamine in PD patients and improve motor symptoms. Carbidopa makes more levodopa available for transport into the brain. ABBV-951 eliminates the ‘wearing off’ effect by providing a continuous infusion of levodopa into the bloodstream so there is less fluctuation in dopamine levels and improved motor control. If licenced, ABBV-951 would provide an additional treatment option for PD patients who are levodopa responsive and who have inadequately controlled motor fluctuations.