---
title: Replace lost dopamine producing neurons
nct_id: NCT06167681
phase: PHASE1, PHASE2
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: iRegene Therapeutics Co., Ltd.
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06167681"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06167681"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:05:32.745Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Replace lost dopamine producing neurons

**Goal (in five words):** Replace lost dopamine producing neurons

**Official Title:** A Phase I/II Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of NouvNeu001 Injection for Mid- to Late-stage Parkinson's Disease

**Trial ID:** [NCT06167681](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06167681)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** PHASE1, PHASE2
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** iRegene Therapeutics Co., Ltd.
- **Target Enrollment:** 40 participants
- **Start Date:** 2024-01-17
- **Completion Date:** 2025-12
- **Conditions:** Parkinson Disease
- **Interventions:** Human Dopaminergic Progenitor Cells
- **Intervention Types:** BIOLOGICAL

## Summary For Families

It aims to replace lost dopamine-producing neurons to ease the severe motor problems and disability that happen in mid- to late-stage Parkinson's. Doctors inject human dopaminergic progenitor cells into the brain so the cells can mature into dopamine neurons that make dopamine locally, potentially reducing symptoms and future dependence on levodopa while initially being used alongside existing meds. Looking for people aged 50 to 75, diagnosed 4 to 20 years ago, who are mid-to-late stage (Hoehn‑Yahr 2.5,4 when off), have a strong levodopa response and an MDS‑UPDRS‑III off score over 35, and who are medically fit for brain surgery and imaging, with common exclusions like prior DBS or cell therapy, active serious infections, uncontrolled medical or psychiatric conditions, or ongoing infusion/apomorphine treatments.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 50 Years
- **Maximum age:** 75 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 50-75 years old, male or female
* Able to understand the rationale of the clinical trial and sign informed consent form (ICF)
* Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease in accordance with the MDS clinical diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease (2015)
* Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease made between 4 to 20 years ago
* Medically suitable for neurosurgery under anesthesia and able to participate in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan.
* Hoehn-Yahr staging for "off" episodes is 2.5 to 4
* The MDS-UPDRS Part III (MDS-UPDRS-III) score in the "off" state \> 35, and positive for the Acute Levodopa Challenge Test (ALCT)
* Acceptable laboratory test results during screening and prior to transplantation

Exclusion Criteria:

* Atypical Parkinsonism
* Patients who have had previous pallidotomy, deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, striatal or extrapyramidal surgery, brain stereotaxy or other brain surgery; as well as other surgical procedures that are judged by the investigator to affect patient's participation in this study
* Patients who have a previous head CT/MRI examination showing cerebral trauma, vascular malformation, hydrocephalus, brain tumor, etc., and patients who have brain imaging abnormalities in the striatum or other brain areas leading to a significantly increased risk for surgery.
* Patients with a history of severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases
* Patients with a history of malignant tumors
* Patients who have had previous cellular therapy
* Patients with active disseminated intravascular coagulation and significant hemorrhagic tendency within 3 months prior to screening, or who cannot temporarily suspend anti-platelet agents or other anti-coagulant medications for at least 5 days before surgery
* Patients with long-term, heavy use of glucocorticoids or immunosuppressive drugs within 3 months prior to signing the ICF
* Patients with a history of mental illness who are deemed unfit to participate in the study by the investigator; or a history of suicidal ideation or suicide attempts within the past year or currently;
* Patients who have used botulinum toxin within 6 months prior to signing the ICF
* Patients with active epilepsy or currently on anti-epileptic drugs
* Patients with a history of dementia or severe cognitive disorder, or the score of MDS-UPDRS 1.1 during screening is \> 3; poor compliance, inability to accurately keep diary, and/or inability to sign ICF due to dementia
* Patients with severe depression or with severe anxiety during screening;
* Patients with the following abnormalities during screening, including: Abnormal coagulation; Abnormal immunological tests, and assessed by the investigator it is not suitable to participate in the trial; Hypertensive patients with poorly controlled blood pressure and patients with severe postural hypotension; Diabetic patients with poorly controlled blood glucose
* Patients with surgical contraindications, or with other surgical procedures within 6 months before screening which, in the opinion of the investigator, have an impact on this trial; Patients with other neurosurgical contraindications
* Patients with other combined severe systemic diseases, such as pulmonary heart disease, moderate to severe asthma, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
* Presence of one of the following: positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody, treponema pallidum antibody, hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody and HCV RNA; Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen positive and HBV DNA copy number \> detection of normal values; Tuberculosis is in the active stage; Other active infections that the investigator believes may affect Patients' participation in the study or affect study outcomes;
* Patients with alcohol addiction or positive for drug of abuse testing
* Patients with a history of contraindication or allergy to the drugs used during the study or any of its components, or are allergic to the same drugs or other macrolides, or have allergies;
* Female of childbearing potential who are not surgically sterilized/premenopausal/unwilling to use medically approved effective contraception with 2 years after administration of investigational drug and lactating women; men who are not surgically sterilized/unwilling to use medically approved effective contraception with 2 years after administration of investigational drug
* Patients who have received electric shock therapy within 30 days prior to surgery
* Patients who are participating in other clinical trials, or have been enrolled in other clinical studies and received intervention therapy within 3 months prior to the surgery
* Patients with poor compliance based on clinical evaluation of the investigator
* Patients who are being treated with drugs such as apomorphine, or levodopa/carbidopa infusion therapy
* Patients with severe dyskinesia in both on- and off-drug states
```

## Locations (2)

- Beijing Hospital, Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China _(39.9075, 116.3972)_
  - Haibo Chen — (CONTACT) — chenhbneuro@263.net
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China _(30.5833, 114.2667)_
  - Nanxiang Xiong — (CONTACT) — mozhuoxiong@163.com

## Central Contacts

- Meng Cai, Ph.D — (CONTACT) — 0086-027-59337986 — caimeng@iregene.com

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06167681*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06167681*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06167681*