Researchers from a major Texas medical center reported that valbenazine produced meaningful relief of chorea, the involuntary movement pattern often linked with Huntington disease. The findings appeared in Lancet Neurology, underscoring potential advances in symptom management for this rare neurodegenerative condition.
The study enrolled 128 participants who received either valbenazine or a placebo once daily to target Huntington-associated chorea. The drug has not been approved for sale in the United States for Huntington-related symptoms at the time of the trial, and participants were assigned to receive either the active medication or a control treatment to evaluate performance and safety in real-world settings.
Compared with placebo, valbenazine produced a statistically significant drop in chorea severity and an overall improvement in the burden of abnormal movements among Huntington patients. The therapeutic signal appeared early, with noticeable improvements noted in the second week of treatment at the lowest tested dose of 40 mg. Participants treated with valbenazine also reported better hand and arm mobility and greater functional capability, accompanied by a reduced perception of movement burden compared with those on placebo.
Huntington disease is a rare inherited disorder that typically emerges in midlife, often in the 30s or 40s, and progressively damages nerve cells in the brain. While there is no cure, a comprehensive approach including medications, physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy helps to manage symptoms and maintain quality of life. As of today, valbenazine is approved in some regions for other movement disorders, but its use for Huntington-related chorea remains investigational in many jurisdictions and should only occur within clinical studies or under strict medical supervision. (Lancet Neurology, 2024)