Scientists have developed a new pill called solengepras that shows promise in reducing Parkinson’s disease symptoms without causing common side effects like nausea or hallucinations. In a trial involving 341 participants across four continents, those taking the higher dose of solengepras experienced nearly 37 fewer minutes each day of debilitating “off” periods compared to placebo users. The drug works by blocking the GPR6 receptor and appears well-tolerated with no serious side effects reported. Cerevance plans to discuss these results with the FDA, potentially making the pill available within three years.
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Cerevance, a US-based biopharmaceutical company, has developed solengepras, a new pill for treating Parkinson's disease that shows promise in reducing symptoms and side-effects. During clinical trials, patients experienced nearly 37 minutes less "off" time daily, when their dopamine drugs were not effectively managing the condition, compared to those on a placebo. Solengepras blocks the GPR6 receptor, which slows movement without causing common side effects like nausea or hallucinations associated with existing treatments that increase dopamine levels in the brain. With around 166,000 people diagnosed with Parkinson's in the UK alone, this breakthrough offers hope for improved quality of life for sufferers.
Written for “Parkinsons Breakthrough Pill” on 2026-10-07,
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A new pill for Parkinson’s disease is raising hopes of a breakthrough in treatment after a trial suggested it reduced the symptoms that hit sufferers’ quality of life.
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that → raise → life
The drug, called solengepras, cut the time when patients had “off” periods, when they felt unwell or stiff, slow or shaky.
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they → call → periods
Patients also felt less sleepy and functioned better, the scientists said.
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scientists → feel → ?
Existing treatments for Parkinson’s work by increasing dopamine, which is reduced in the brains of sufferers, but those drugs may cause nausea, hallucinations and involuntary movements, usually of the limbs.
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drugs → exist → limbs
Solengepras works differently, blocking a receptor called GPR6 that slows down movement.
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that → work → movement
It was developed to reduce the risk of such side-effects.
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Cerevance, the US clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that developed the new drug, said it offered great hope for future treatments.
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it → develop → treatments
Parkinson's is the world’s fastest growing neurological condition.
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Parkinson → grow → ?
Around 166,000 people in the UK have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, according to Parkinson's UK and 21,000 more have it without a formal diagnosis.
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21,000 → diagnose → diagnosis
More than 10 million people worldwide live with the disease.
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people → live → disease
The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved 341 people with Parkinson’s across the US, Europe, UK and Australia.
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trial → control → US
They were randomly assigned to receive either 75mg or 150mg of solengepras or a placebo, once a day for 12 weeks.
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They → assign → weeks
They continued to take their dopamine-based drugs.
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They → continue → drugs
Both the patients taking solengepras and those taking the placebo improved over the trial, but the higher-dose solengepras group reported having nearly 37 minutes less “off” time each day, when their dopamine drugs were not working properly, than those on the placebo, and about an hour-and-a-half less “off” time than before the trial.
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drugs → take → trial
They also had about 36 extra minutes a day of “on” time without dyskinesia – movement problems – compared with the placebo group.
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They → have → group
Activities such as dressing, eating and getting around were easier, as well.
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Activities → dress → dressing
The drug appeared well tolerated, with no serious side effects, the researchers said, although some people reported headaches and urinary tract infections.
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people → appear → headaches
Ceverance says it will discuss the results with the US Food and Drug Administration to determine the next steps, and the pill could potentially be prescribed to patients within three years.
Doctors say motor – or movement - fluctuations are one of the hardest side-effects to control in Parkinson’s patients, but solengepras offers hope of doing so.
Loss of smell, constipation and involuntary movements during sleep may all be early signs of the disease.
Craig Thompson, chief executive of Cerevance, said the trial showed a consistent pattern of benefit across “off” time, “on” time, daily motor function, daytime alertness and quality of life.
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trial → say → life
“As a potential first-in-class, non-dopaminergic therapy, solengepras gives us the opportunity to evaluate what a new mechanism may offer people with Parkinson’s.”
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mechanism → give → Parkinson
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