Phase 3 trial finds exenatide does not slow Parkinson's disease
The Exenatide-PD3 trial, published in The Lancet, randomized 194 people with Parkinson's disease at six UK hospitals to weekly extended-release exenatide 2 mg or placebo for 96 weeks. Exenatide was safe and well tolerated but did not slow the worsening of movement symptoms and showed no benefit on other clinical measures or on DaT-SPECT brain imaging. In 2026 The Lancet added an expression of concern to the paper after a UK regulatory inspection raised trial-conduct concerns at one site.
Sources
- 01Exenatide once a week versus placebo as a potential disease-modifying treatment for people with Parkinson's disease in the UK: a phase 3, multicentre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomised, placebo-controlled trial(opens the source in a new tab)
- 02Results from the phase 3 trial of exenatide published(opens the source in a new tab)
- 03Expression of Concern: Exenatide once a week versus placebo as a potential disease-modifying treatment for people with Parkinson's disease in the UK(opens the source in a new tab)