Erythromycin in Parkinson's Disease

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

Status

Completed

Conditions

Levodopa

Parkinson's Disease

Treatments

Drug: Erythromycin

Drug: placebo

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT02005029

HM15105

Details and patient eligibility

About

Gastroparesis (slow stomach emptying) is a common feature of Parkinson's Disease. Levodopa (Sinemet), a common medication for Parkinson's Disease, can make gastroparesis worse. Gastroparesis effects how the levodopa is absorbed and used by the body. This study will explore the possibility of using Erythromycin, a drug commonly used (off label) for gastroparesis, along with levodopa to determine if there is improved levodopa absorption and motor function.

Full description

Participants will be required to make four visits for evaluation. Visit 1 is a screening visit, participants will receive the study drug or a placebo during visits 2 and 3, and visit 4 is a follow up visit. Participants will provide blood and urine samples during the visits. Participants will also be required to complete questionnaires and a series of motor tests.

Enrollment

18 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 80 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Subjects must have a definitive diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease (per United Kingdom brain bank criteria), Hoehn and Yahr stage 1-3,
must exhibit unequivocal levodopa responsiveness
must be able to distinguish between the "off" versus "on" state
Subjects must be on a stable dose of levodopa for at least 28 days prior to enrollment and should be anticipated to maintain a stable dose throughout both study periods
Subjects may be on concomitant therapy with Monoamine oxidase B inhibitors, entacapone, and amantadine, though the doses of these medications must have remained stable for at least 28 days prior to enrollment and must be expected to remain stable throughout both study periods.

Exclusion criteria

History of deep brain stimulation for Parkinson Disease
History of ablative (tissue removal) surgery for Parkinson Disease
Presence of dementia (MMSE<25)
Presence of active psychosis
History of any chronic gastrointestinal diseases
History of any prior gastrointestinal surgeries except for appendectomy, cholecystectomy, and hysterectomy
Any gastrointestinal surgeries in the past 3 months
Severe dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) to pills or food
History of physiological or mechanical gastrointestinal obstruction
History of strictures or fistulae (abnormal or narrow connections) along the gastrointestinal tract
History of gastric bezoars (undigested mass)
Allergy to wheat, soy, milk, or nuts
Presence of portable electromechanical devices such as pacemaker, defibrillator, or infusion pump
Female subjects who are pregnant or lactating
Symptomatic orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure)
Diabetes
Presence of symptomatic anemia
Abnormal liver or kidney function
Cardiac arrhythmia (past or present) or abnormal QT interval on entrance EKG
Known hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs
Subjects receiving certain medications during specified time frames