Cerevel Therapeutics has announced promising results from the Phase III TEMPO-3 trial for its investigational Parkinson’s disease therapy, tavapadon. The trial demonstrated that tavapadon, when used alongside levodopa, significantly improves the control of motor symptoms in patients. At 27 weeks, patients on tavapadon experienced a 1.7-hour increase in total “on” time without troublesome dyskinesia, a substantial improvement compared to those receiving placebo on top of levodopa. The treatment effect of 1.1 hours was deemed clinically meaningful and statistically significant, with a p-value less than 0.0001, highlighting the potential of tavapadon in addressing the needs of individuals living with Parkinson’s disease.
Tavapadon, a selective partial agonist of the D1/D5 receptors, targets dopamine receptor subtypes involved in regulating motor activity. This mechanism of action allows tavapadon to activate the brain’s motor pathways while minimizing side effects such as sleepiness and hallucinations. Importantly, tavapadon maximizes the activation of D1/D5 receptors while avoiding prolonged hyper-excitation, which commonly leads to dyskinesias and “off” time. The positive results from the TEMPO-3 trial pave the way for regulatory submissions for tavapadon, marking a significant advancement in the treatment landscape for Parkinson’s disease.
