• Clinical trials test potential new treatment options for Parkinson's disease (PD) to see how well-tolerated and effective they are.
• The ATLANTIS Study, a clinical trial, is recruiting people to test a potential drug. Participants must be between 35 and 80, have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five or more years ago, and have fluctuating motor symptoms.
• Clinical trials make participants’ health and safety a top priority.

Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disease in which motor symptoms (related to movement) progressively worsen over time. Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s.¹ However, advances in medical research are leading to new treatments, and you may be eligible to try investigational drugs currently being tested in clinical trials.² If you or your loved one has Parkinson’s disease, you may discover that participating in a clinical trial could be right for you.

Clinical trials are an essential part of medical research, in which new drugs, interventions, and standards of care are tested using volunteer participants. Every new drug for Parkinson’s — or any other condition — must go through a clinical trial process. This is an important step that couldn’t happen without people who volunteer to help advance research and bring new therapies to the market. There’s no guarantee that a clinical trial will lead to an effective new medication, but each study produces valuable data that can help researchers understand the disease better and, ultimately, improve health care and quality of life for people with Parkinson’s or other diseases.³

One clinical trial now recruiting participants who have Parkinson’s, the ATLANTIS Study, is testing a drug called UCB0022. The clinical trial aims to find out if adding UCB0022 to standard treatment can help reduce the overall time spent in an “off” state (when symptoms return because PD medication has worn off). In the case of Parkinson’s, standard treatment is a regimen of either levodopa/carbidopa or benserazide/levodopa.⁴

Why Join a Clinical Trial?

There are many reasons to participate in clinical research. During this clinical study, your health and your Parkinson’s disease will be closely monitored. Study participants also play an important part in bringing new medications to market, which can benefit many other people in the future who also have the disease or condition.²

The ATLANTIS Study

The ATLANTIS Study is a phase 2 study. It is recruiting about 160 volunteers who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five or more years ago and who have fluctuating motor symptoms. The study medication is provided as oral tablets given once a day. Participants will receive either a lower dose of the investigational medication UCB0022, a higher dose of UCB0022, or a placebo (a substance that looks like UCB0022 but contains no medicinally active ingredients). Among other things, researchers intend to find out whether UCB0022, along with standard treatment, works better than standard treatment alone.⁴

Eligibility for Research Participation

The ATLANTIS Study will last up to a total of 18 weeks per participant, with the investigational drug or placebo given once a day by mouth, in the morning. The study will take place in about 60 trial centers or hospitals in the U.S. Volunteers may be eligible to participate if they⁴:

• Are between 35 and 80 years of age
• Have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five or more years ago
• Are experiencing daily motor fluctuations (at least two cumulative hours of “off” time every day when PD symptoms return after the medication has worn off)
• Are currently receiving treatment with levodopa (with or without additional therapies for Parkinson’s disease)
• Are willing to complete a three-day symptom diary at four time points during the study

Participants cannot join in the study if they⁴:

• Have had brain surgery for Parkinson’s disease (including deep brain stimulation, thalamus surgery, and experimental cell therapy or gene therapy)
• Are using parenteral PD medication (medication that is infused or injected, like Duopa/Duodopa or apomorphine)
• Have a diagnosis of dementia, other forms of important cognitive dysfunction, epilepsy, or another seizure disorder
• Have a history or current diagnosis of type 1 diabetes or uncontrolled type 2 diabetes or have current untreated hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Have had major depression or psychotic disorder or any other psychiatric condition within the past five years
• Have a history of alcohol or drug use disorder
• Have a positive drug/alcohol test, HIV test, or hepatitis B test when joining the study

If you meet the initial requirements, a member of the study team may discuss the additional eligibility criteria with you.

You will not have to pay for the study medication. Travel support and reasonable reimbursement for study-related expenses can be provided, and a stipend may be paid. Your health will be closely monitored throughout the clinical study.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyParkinsonsTeam is the social network for people with Parkinson’s disease and their loved ones. On MyParkinsonsTeam, more than 98,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with Parkinson’s.

Do you have questions about joining a clinical trial? Have you participated in one before? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.