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Parkinson's DiseaseAugust 2026Summary reviewed July 2026

What the TEMPO-2 Trial Found — Tavapadon for Early Parkinson's Disease

Researchers tested tavapadon, a once-daily pill, in 304 people with early Parkinson's disease. After 26 weeks, those taking tavapadon had significantly better movement and daily function scores compared to those on a sugar pill, with side effects mainly including nausea, headache, and dizziness.

What the trial was testing

The TEMPO-2 enrolled 304 patients with parkinson's disease. The study was sponsored by AbbVie and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.

It was a large trial designed to confirm whether the treatment works well enough for wider use. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.

What the results showed

Tavapadon improved Parkinson's symptoms by 9 points more than placebo on a standard movement scale.

The Lancet. Neurology · 2026 · NCT04223193

These findings — that tavapadon improved movement and daily activities more than placebo on a standard Parkinson's scale — were published in the The Lancet. Neurology and represent the headline result of the study.

Researchers tracked outcomes across 304 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.

What this means for patients

For patients with parkinson's disease, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.

What you can do now

This was a large-scale study and tavapadon showed meaningful benefits for early Parkinson's. The drug is not yet FDA-approved—it's still being studied for long-term safety. If you have early Parkinson's, talk to your doctor about available treatments and whether this approach might become an option in the future.

Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.

Open parkinson's disease trials

RecruitingObservational study

Effect of Trunk Flexion on Airway Defense in Parkinson's Disease

The main mechanisms of airway protection include a properly functioning swallowing process and a cough. Studies focusing on patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have previously demonstrated impairments in both swallowing (dysphagia) and coughing (dystussia). Aspiration pneumonia is the leading cause of death in individuals with PD. Swallowing function is directly related to body posture. Postural abnormalities (PA) are a common symptom of PD and significantly contribute to patient disability, affect respiratory function, and reduce quality of life. Previous research has shown that more than 20% of PD patients suffer from some form of PA. Most PD patients with a forward trunk flexion angle greater than 30 degrees report specific difficulties, such as dysphagia. A link has previously been demonstrated between postural abnormalities associated with flexed posture and restrictive ventilatory impairment. It can be assumed that this restrictive ventilatory impairment, which reduces the amount of air the patient can inhale into the lungs and subsequently exhale, negatively affects the strength of voluntary cough. However, this hypothesis has not yet been verified in the mentioned patient group. The primary aim of the study will be to examine the effect of forward trunk flexion (FTF) in Parkinson's disease on the airway defense system.

Prague, Czechia
RecruitingObservational study

Tapping Test and the Archimedean Spiral for the Differential Diagnosis of Tremor. Machine Learning Approach

In clinical practice, it is sometimes difficult to establish whether a patient's tremor is due to Parkinson's disease or essential tremor. The distinction is crucial as the health implications differ significantly between the two conditions. Therefore, the present study aims to develop a diagnostic method based on machine learning techniques to help differentiate whether a patient's tremor is due to one condition or the other. To achieve this, 110 patients with tremor, correctly diagnosed with either Parkinson's disease or essential tremor, will participate. They will undergo two diagnostic tests (tapping test and Archimedean spiral) to capture data that can be processed using machine learning techniques.

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain