Aftermathman,

This may not "count" as the first phase III study for neuroprotection, but from 2002-2005 Cephalon tested CEP-1347 for neuroprotection in a phase II/III trial on 806 people in the U.S. and Canada.

Although in tests on rats & monkeys CEP-1347 provided neuroprotection, it did NOT work on humans. The trial was cancelled in May 2005 because it did not work. In fact the placebo group did better than any of the groups on the trial drug...

I was on the lowest dose... and the people on the lowest dose found their parkinson's symptoms progressed the fastest ... go figure ...