Exenatide Once-weekly as a Treatment for Multiple System Atrophy

Fifty patients with early stage MSA will be recruited and randomised to receive Exenatide injections, or to act as controls in this open label trial. Once a potential participant has been identified they will receive a patient information leaflet, and will be given a minimum of 24 hours to read this before being recruited on to the trial. Patients will need to be eligible for the trial by meeting the inclusion criteria. During pre-treatment there will be a screening visit and a baseline visit. Pre-treatment assessments will include: demographics, medical history, family history, any previous genetic tests recorded, previous drug compliance issues recorded, physical examination, neurological examination, 12-lead ECG, routine bloods (FBC, U\&E, LFT, glucose, amylase, HbA1c, PT and APTT), height, weight, vital signs, serum or urine pregnancy tests (for women of childbearing potential), MoCA, BDI-II and Concomitant medications. Patients will then wear a sensor attached to their lower back for a week. They will then return for their baseline visit. At the baseline visit assessments will include: physical exam, neurological exam, lumbar puncture for CSF collection, serum collection, fasting blood tests, vital signs, UMSARS, COMPASS Select, COMPASS Change scale, timed motor tests, The Unified Dystonia Rating Scale, MoCA, BDI-II, Concomitant medication review and adverse event review. Participants will then be randomised to both control arm or trial drug arm and receive the according treatment. The baseline visit will also include a training session for self-administration of IMP. Patients randomised to receive the trial drug will receive 2mg Exenatide once a week for 48 weeks via subcutaneous injection. Follow up visits will be every 12 weeks and patients will be given a sufficient supply to last them till their next follow up appointment (can be stored in fridge at home). They will also be given a dosing diary to record the time and day of injection administration. Patients will continue to attend their normal neurology appointments as well as trial specific appointments. Patients will have a telephone call with the research nurse at week 4. Thereafter detailed assessments including Physical and Neurological exam, ECG's, Movement tests Including the Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (videotaped), concomitant medications review, adverse event review, and blood sampling at baseline and every 12 weeks for a total of 48 weeks. Each patient will also have a Lumbar Puncture at baseline and at their final visit. The primary endpoint will be the difference in total Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS) score (Parts I and II) at 48 weeks comparing Exenatide to best medically treated patients. Secondary measures will include adverse event reports, self-completed questionnaires, and blood test results. Aside from these assessments, all patients will continue any regular MSA medications throughout the trial with adjustments made only according to clinical need.