Clinical trial of diabetic drug for Parkinson's disease
 

Study phase II.

A drug normally used for diabetes, called Pioglitazone, is to undergo clinical trials in people with early Parkinson’s Disease. The aim is to determine whether it can slow clinical decline over a 44 week period. Pioglitazone is being given in 15mg and 45 mg dosages. Pioglitazone is an FDA approved drug for the treatment of diabetes. It has not been previously studied in people with Parkinson's Disease. Pioglitazone is marketed in tablet form as Actoplus, Duetact, and Actos. It acts primarily by decreasing insulin resistance. Neither source for the clinical trials provides a rationale for the use of Pioglitazone in Parkinson's Disease. Insulin resistance has never been shown to cause Parkinson's Disease. Preliminary studies have been carried out using Pioglitazone on animals concerning Parkinson's Disease. However, the circumstances of those studies are not comparable with idiopathic Parkinson's Disease in humans.

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01280123

http://www.pdtrials.org/en/browse/all/view/317

There is information coming to light that Actos may cause bladder cancer in some patients.

I don't think it will be popular for any other indication, because of this. In fact people are discontinuing it for diabetes type II.

I was on it but it didn't help me personally as it looks like I am not insulin resistant. It also made me depressed and I gained 20 kilos over the space of 3 months. Just a warning incase they put you on it. I know I wasnt warned about it, but I know others who had no problems with it. As stated above it has been linked to bladder cancer recently and there is still some concern over CVD issues with it.