A weekly injection instead of four pills a day? This Parkinson’s breakthrough could change how we age
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A tiny shake changed everything.
Peter Willis was behind the wheel when he first noticed the tremor that would mark the beginning of his Parkinson’s journey.
Now 86, he lives with a daily routine of medications—and the fear of forgetting even one.
Researchers in South Australia hoped they had found a way to ease that burden.
A new injectable treatment, developed by scientists at the University of South Australia, could eliminate the need for multiple daily pills for Parkinson’s disease.
Instead of remembering three to five tablets each day, patients might one day rely on a single weekly injection.
The experimental formula combines two existing Parkinson’s medications—levodopa and carbidopa—into one dose, which forms a biodegradable implant under the skin.
Professor Sanjay Garg, from the university’s Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation, said early lab tests showed the formula was effective.
‘One injection will be good for one week as compared to a patient taking three or four tablets every day,’ he said.
The next step would be animal trials, which Professor Garg hoped would begin in six months pending ethics approval.
‘We will be applying these injections to animals and then assessing their blood concentrations to see how the drug release is happening,’ he said.
While it was not a new drug, the method of delivery could be revolutionary.
‘We have not discovered a new drug, all we are doing is trying to find a new way to deliver existing medications,’ he said.
Parkinson’s Australia estimated more than 150,000 Australians lived with the progressive condition, which currently had no cure.
Treatments aimed to control symptoms, but timing was crucial.
PhD student Deepa Nakmode, who worked on the project, said patients missing just one dose could face immediate consequences.
‘Even if they miss a single dose, they can’t perform day to day activities normally,’ she said.
She added the formula had been filed for an Australian patent after testing around 100 different combinations.
‘As a scientist you feel proud to come up with a product which is clinically needed, not just for the sake of research,’ she said.
‘This new long-acting injection will be a game-changer for people with Parkinson’s disease, which means fewer doses, fewer fluctuations and more freedom of life.’
Olivia Nassaris, CEO of Parkinson’s Australia, welcomed the findings.
‘There hasn’t been much progress in Parkinson’s medications for a number of years and the community is mostly on oral medications,’ she said.
‘There is no such medication on the market which is the same as this.’
Peter Willis knew that struggle well.
Diagnosed 10 years ago, he relied on four Parkinson’s medications a day, alongside other tablets for a heart condition.
‘Having to remember four every day is a pain in the arse,’ he said.
If he missed one, the impact was immediate.
‘If you don’t take the tablet on time, you discover you can’t walk,’ he said.
‘You sort of lose your energy, as if you run out of fuel. You take the tablet again and then it picks up.’
Managing Parkinson’s symptoms can be a daily struggle, which is why innovations like long-acting injections are offering new hope.
But for many, the condition still presents ongoing challenges—especially when it comes to staying active and doing what they love.
One well-known figure recently made headlines for returning to the spotlight despite his Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Read more: Celebrity returns on-stage amidst his battle with Parkinson’s disease!
Could one weekly shot replace years of daily pill-taking—and return freedom to thousands living with Parkinson’s?
Peter Willis was behind the wheel when he first noticed the tremor that would mark the beginning of his Parkinson’s journey.
Now 86, he lives with a daily routine of medications—and the fear of forgetting even one.
Researchers in South Australia hoped they had found a way to ease that burden.
A new injectable treatment, developed by scientists at the University of South Australia, could eliminate the need for multiple daily pills for Parkinson’s disease.
Instead of remembering three to five tablets each day, patients might one day rely on a single weekly injection.
New injection may replace Parkinson’s daily pills. Image source: Pexels/RF._.studio _
The experimental formula combines two existing Parkinson’s medications—levodopa and carbidopa—into one dose, which forms a biodegradable implant under the skin.
Professor Sanjay Garg, from the university’s Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation, said early lab tests showed the formula was effective.
‘One injection will be good for one week as compared to a patient taking three or four tablets every day,’ he said.
The next step would be animal trials, which Professor Garg hoped would begin in six months pending ethics approval.
‘We will be applying these injections to animals and then assessing their blood concentrations to see how the drug release is happening,’ he said.
While it was not a new drug, the method of delivery could be revolutionary.
‘We have not discovered a new drug, all we are doing is trying to find a new way to deliver existing medications,’ he said.
Parkinson’s Australia estimated more than 150,000 Australians lived with the progressive condition, which currently had no cure.
Treatments aimed to control symptoms, but timing was crucial.
PhD student Deepa Nakmode, who worked on the project, said patients missing just one dose could face immediate consequences.
‘Even if they miss a single dose, they can’t perform day to day activities normally,’ she said.
She added the formula had been filed for an Australian patent after testing around 100 different combinations.
‘As a scientist you feel proud to come up with a product which is clinically needed, not just for the sake of research,’ she said.
‘This new long-acting injection will be a game-changer for people with Parkinson’s disease, which means fewer doses, fewer fluctuations and more freedom of life.’
Olivia Nassaris, CEO of Parkinson’s Australia, welcomed the findings.
‘There hasn’t been much progress in Parkinson’s medications for a number of years and the community is mostly on oral medications,’ she said.
‘There is no such medication on the market which is the same as this.’
Peter Willis knew that struggle well.
Diagnosed 10 years ago, he relied on four Parkinson’s medications a day, alongside other tablets for a heart condition.
‘Having to remember four every day is a pain in the arse,’ he said.
If he missed one, the impact was immediate.
‘If you don’t take the tablet on time, you discover you can’t walk,’ he said.
‘You sort of lose your energy, as if you run out of fuel. You take the tablet again and then it picks up.’
Managing Parkinson’s symptoms can be a daily struggle, which is why innovations like long-acting injections are offering new hope.
But for many, the condition still presents ongoing challenges—especially when it comes to staying active and doing what they love.
One well-known figure recently made headlines for returning to the spotlight despite his Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Read more: Celebrity returns on-stage amidst his battle with Parkinson’s disease!
Could one weekly shot replace years of daily pill-taking—and return freedom to thousands living with Parkinson’s?
