Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) will be evaluating the safety and efficacy of a new drug treatment for adult males with Tourette Syndrome (TS) requiring drug treatment therapy.

The 12 week study led by the RMH is set to kick off in coming weeks. It will focus on male patients aged 18 to 50 years of age who are currently experiencing a lack of, or no benefit at all from their current course of treatment.

Researchers say the need for safe and well tolerated therapies for the management of the motor, cognitive and affective symptoms of the disorder remains high. The proposed drug treatment NOE-105 (daily 5mg to 15mg) has a therapeutic effect for the management of tics associated with TS, and is expected to lead to a significant reduction in tics for TS patients.

“Tics are often accompanied with side effects and discomfort,” says Royal Melbourne Hospital Neurologist and Associate Professor, Andrew Evans. “They have an impact on the overall functionality and quality of life to those who experience them, and constitute a significant burden.

Some of the side effects can include tiredness, weight gain and fatigue. What we’re hoping for with this new study is to suppress tics without the ongoing side effects.”

Mobile Stroke Unit with Ambulance Victoria paramedic and the RMH Stroke team
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