Researchers are getting excited about a drug that used to be given to patients with early-stage Parkinson's, but which was suddenly dropped. The drug, selegiline, is in the family known as monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors that had been used since the 1980s to slow the progress of the disease.
The University of Birmingham has rediscovered selegiline after reviewing its use and efficacy in 17 trials, which involved a total of 3,525 patients. Most patients showed improvements in mobility and general lifestyle activities compared with those on a placebo. Better yet, the drug is cheap and readily available.
So why did it suddenly fall from fashion? Oh, it was something to do with a study in 1995 that found it killed 57 per cent of those taking it.