In this recent Webinar, Professor Simon Lewis discusses the preliminary results from the Phase 2 clinical trial of SNT-4728, the world’s first interventional study designed to directly target neuroinflammation in people with isolated REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder (iRBD)—a condition that carries a very high risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and related conditions.
As Principal Investigator of the study, Professor Lewis played a leading role in developing the scientific concept behind this novel approach, recognising that intervening during the earliest stages of disease, before the onset of Parkinson’s symptoms, by targeting brain inflammation as a potential disease-modifying strategy.
The preliminary findings are encouraging. After just 12 weeks of treatment, participants receiving SNT-4728 demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in brain inflammation unilaterally within the putamen, a brain region critically involved in the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Importantly, 20 of the 30 participants receiving active treatment showed reductions in inflammatory activity compared with baseline. While these findings represent an important biological signal, Professor Lewis emphasises that this is an exploratory Phase 2 study and that the full clinical, imaging and biomarker datasets, expected later in 2026, will help in determining the durability and clinical significance of these early observations.
The webinar also highlights the importance of collaboration in advancing innovative Parkinson’s research. This investigator-led study was made possible through the philanthropic support of Parkinson’s UK and their Research Ventures section, whose investment enabled researchers to test a bold, first-in-class therapeutic strategy that might otherwise not have progressed. Their support has helped accelerate research into interventions that could ultimately delay or prevent Parkinson’s disease before irreversible brain damage occurs.
Professor Lewis provides an overview of the study design, explains why iRBD offers a unique opportunity for early intervention, and discusses what these preliminary findings may mean for the future of disease-modifying therapies, while recognising that further analysis and larger clinical studies will be required before definitive conclusions can be drawn.
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