A Trial of MitoQ for the Treatment of People With Parkinson's Disease

In Parkinson's Disease, the mitochondrial membranes in cells that produce dopamine become damaged by oxidants, leading to the death of these cells and progressive tremor, slowness of movement and the loss of neurons in the substantia nigra (a part of the brain that is involved in movement). Mitoquinone is targeted to reach the membrane of mitochondria and provide protection from damaging oxidants. There are no treatments currently available to slow the progression of PD and this trial will help advance the development of this unique disease modifying drug. This trial will enroll 120 participants with untreated early onset of PD. Participants will be randomized to receive 1 of 3 treatments: 40 mg of MitoQ tablets, 80 mg of MitoQ tablets or placebo. The researchers, participants and sponsor will all be blinded to the treatment allocation. Participants will be assessed after 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12 months of treatment and again 28 days after their last dose. The effectiveness of the trial drug will be measured via the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The safety of the trial drug will be monitored via regular participant examinations, blood tests, ECG and collecting information on adverse events.