Roche Continues Parkinson’s Drug Development Despite Phase 2b Trial Failure and Market Challenges

The Phase 2b trial results for Roche and Prothena's prasinezumab, aimed at treating Parkinson's disease, showed that while the drug did not meet its primary endpoint of slowing motor progression compared to a placebo, there were some promising signals in specific patient subgroups[1][2]. Notably, participants who received levodopa alongside prasinezumab demonstrated some improvement, signaling a potential opportunity for targeted therapy within this population. The numerical benefit was observed in a modest reduction in motor function decline by about 16% in patients taking levodopa, indicating a nominal p-value suggestive of efficacy, despite the trial's general failure to achieve statistical significance[3][4]. Roche plans to scrutinize these findings further and engage with health authorities for the continuation of its development program, positioning the results within the broader context of existing challenges in Parkinson's drug development[1][3].