A Pilot Study of Oxaloacetate 100 mg Capsules in Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Mitochondrial dysfunction is observed in Parkinson's disease (PD) and oxaloacetate (OAA), a bioenergetic pathway intermediate, was found in preclinical studies to have pro-mitochondrial effects. In this pilot study we randomized 18 PD participants to a capsule that included 100 mg OAA (in addition to 150 mg of ascorbic acid), and 15 PD participants to a capsule containing only 150 mg ascorbic acid, twice daily, for four months. Participants and study personnel were blinded to the group assignment. Thirteen participants in each group completed the study. Adverse events were recorded and clinical response was evaluated with the total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Movement Disorder Society (MDS)-UPDRS motor and non-motor activities of daily living sections, PDQ-39 quality of life assessment, Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Geriatric Depression Scale. No serious adverse events occurred and no significant differences between the groups or between the baseline and 4-month visit scores were observed for any categorical or continuous clinical assessment. In conclusion, although in this study OAA 100 mg twice daily for four months was safe in PD patients, at this dose its clinical effects were not different from placebo