Two pieces of news stood out in Parkinson’s treatment research this week. One is long-term follow-up of a cell therapy that transplants dopamine cells directly into the brain. The other is a once-a-day drug currently under review for approval in the U.S. Neither is available to be prescribed yet, but both are worth writing up because they show how treatment options could widen from here.

Story 1

Bemdaneprocel, a cell therapy, is still working at three years

🔍 What the study found

Bemdaneprocel, in development at the biotech company BlueRock Therapeutics, is a treatment that surgically transplants dopamine nerve cell precursors made from stem cells into the movement-related parts of the brain. Three-year follow-up from a Phase 1 trial (exPDite)The earliest stage of a clinical trial, which checks whether a drug is safe. It usually runs in a small number of people and looks at safety before effectiveness.Learn more in 12 people (5 on the low dose, 7 on the high dose) was presented recently at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2026 annual meeting. In the high-dose group, more time with symptoms under control (“on” time) and less time with the medication worn away (“off” time) were maintained out to three yearsIt means more time when the medication is working well, without dyskinesia. As Parkinson's progresses, the time the medication is working, the time it wears away, and dyskinesia as a side effect tend to become mixed together.Learn more. Results in the low-dose group focused on confirming safety rather than effect. On the strength of these findings, a Phase 3 trialThe stage that gathers more safety and effectiveness information across different groups and doses. It involves far more participants than Phase 1.Learn more in a larger number of people (around 102) is now under way.

“Bemdaneprocel is designed to replace lost dopamine nerve cells and provide sustained control of symptoms. Dopamine neuron precursors derived from human embryonic stem cells are surgically transplanted into the region of the brain responsible for motor function. Over three years of observation, MDS-UPDRS scores in the low-dose group remained stable, while the high-dose group trended toward improvement in both the time the medication was working and the time it had worn away. In particular, the high-dose group reported more on time without troublesome dyskinesia, and less daily off time, across the three years.”
— Presented at the AAN 2026 annual meeting, as reported by Parkinson's News Today
Read the original (Parkinson's News Today)

✅ If you have Parkinson’s

Cell therapy is a different approach from adding more medication, or from surgery that delivers stimulation — it puts new cells themselves into the brain. How the Phase 3 trial goes is the next thing to watch.

These are still small-scale Phase 1 results, and there are real burdens attached — including a year of immunosuppressant medication after the transplant — so this is not at a stage where it leads to treatment any time soon.

🙋 If you’re a care partner

Hearing the words “cell therapy” sometimes raises hopes that treatment is just around the corner, so it helps to know together that this is still at the research stage. If you’re wondering about trials that are recruiting, you can check the Clinical Trials & Research section from time to time to see what has been listed.

Story 2

A once-a-day drug is close to a U.S. approval decision

🔍 What the study found

Tavapadon, developed by AbbVie, is a tablet that only needs to be taken once a day, unlike existing dopamine agonistsA medication that acts in place of dopamine in the brain. It is used alongside levodopa or on its own, and it carries a markedly higher risk of impulse control disorder than levodopa.Learn more. That is a notable contrast with the many existing dopamine agonists that have to be taken three times a day. Improvement in motor symptoms was confirmed in three Phase 3 trials (TEMPO), and on the strength of those results a new drug application was submitted to the U.S. FDA in September 2025. Industry watchers expect a decision within the third quarter of 2026 (now). On side effects, hallucinations were reported in 6.3%, sleepiness in 4.6% and impulse control disorderFinding it hard to control impulses — gambling, shopping or binge eating, for example. It is a known side effect of some dopamine agonists.Learn more in 1.4%, which stands out as a lower rate of impulse control disorder than with existing dopamine agonists.

“For many people living with Parkinson's disease, today's oral standard of care isn't effective enough to manage symptoms. Knowing the toll Parkinson's disease takes on body and mind, we are committed to providing next-generation treatment options that will help individuals regain motor control and independence at any stage of this difficult disease.”
— Roopal Thakkar, head of research and development, AbbVie
Read the original (AbbVie press release)

✅ If you have Parkinson’s

If splitting your medication into several doses a day has been a nuisance, this is news that a once-a-day option like this one could become available to you in future.

That said, the U.S. approval decision has not been made yet, and even after an approval it takes further time before a drug actually reaches pharmacies — longer still in countries outside the U.S. Please do keep in mind that this is not a medication you can be prescribed right now.

🙋 If you’re a care partner

Dopamine agonists are a class of drug where impulse control disorder needs watching for particularly carefully as a side effect. A lower rate with this new drug is a positive sign, but it does not mean “no side effects” — so even once it is actually being prescribed, it is worth carrying on as usual and keeping an eye out for behavior changes such as gambling or shopping.

What you can do now

Both stories still need time before they turn into treatments you can actually receive. What you can do right now is raise it at your next appointment with your care team — something as simple as “I read about this research; could it ever apply to me?”

ParkinON has rewritten recently published research and news coverage in plain language for this article. It is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment, and it says nothing about whether a treatment is approved or available where you live. If you have questions about a new treatment, please talk with your care team.