Azilect, a drug developed by Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, has been proved to be able to slow the progression of the Parkinson’s disease, according to a report on Wednesday.

Its Phase III trial showed that patients treated with Azilect showed significant improvements as compared to those who started taking the drug later, the report said.
A study of 1,176 patients revealed that Parkinson’s patients who took Azilect 1 mg tablets upon entry into the trial, for 72 weeks, showed a slower decline in disease progression in the early part of the trial and a steadying of symptoms in the last part, as compared to those who initiated therapy nine months later after being treated with placebo tablets for the first 36 weeks.

“Delaying disease progression is the most important unmet need in the management of Parkinson’s disease,” said Professor C. Warren Olanow with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, a leading scientist in the study.

Teva’s Nasdaq-traded shares were up by 1.1 percent.