New York State Psychiatric Institute Suspended ALL Human Studies by Watchdog After Person Participating in Parkinson’s Drug Trial Committed Suicide

The New York State Psychiatric Institute has suspended all human studies after a person participating in a Parkinson’s drug trial committed suicide.

A total of 417 research studies, with a budget of $86 million, were halted as federal regulators scrutinized the center’s safety protocols after a man who was part of the group trying levodopa — a dopamine replacement drug — died.

Dr. Bret R. Rutherford, an associate professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, led the study – which tested the drug for Parkinson’s disease.

He has since resigned from his prestigious position.

It’s not clear when the suicide occurred, but the study – which received $736,579 in funding – was temporarily suspended by the National Institute of Mental Health in January 2022, first reported by Spectrum.

Levodopa (pictured) is a dopamine replacement drug that is being used in studies to treat Parkinson’s disease

Research on the drug was then completely halted in May 2023 – just weeks before the federal order to halt all human trials on June 12.

According to clinicaltrials.gov, the person who died by suicide was assigned to the placebo arm of the study — meaning they didn’t actually get the drug.

Their identities have not been confirmed, nor has the New York State Psychiatric Institute specifically confirmed that the patient died in the process.

It was also not confirmed whether the deceased patient had previously used antidepressants.

Dr. Rutherford’s levodopa study for depression in later life attempted to recruit 90 adults over the age of 60 who suffered from mild to moderate depression.

In the end, the study was able to recruit 51 patients, but 20 of them dropped out or were ineligible. The remaining 31 received levodopa or a placebo.

Problems became apparent, however, after it was reported that some of the human subjects finished taking their antidepressants only days earlier — going against the study’s protocol.

In addition, stopping the consumption of antidepressants has been linked to an increased risk of suicide.

Emily Roberts, a former research assistant in Dr. Rutherford, told Spectrum that recruiting was challenging — and in an effort to get enough people on board, some of the criteria were “laid back.”

The New York State Psychiatric Institute (pictured) has suspended all human studies after a person participating in a Parkinson’s drug trial committed suicide

Many of the people who took part in the study were “not well off financially,” which Roberts says may have been a motivating factor.

Roberts told Spectrum and the NYTimes, “I was disappointed with the rigor of the research there.”

‘In a program that is difficult to enroll in, you push the boundaries of who qualifies for it.’

The spokesperson for the New York State Psychiatric Institute said the company’s priority is the health and safety of individuals involved in our award-winning research programs.

They are working “to help federal agencies with their audit and have subsequently restructured and strengthened compliance research and monitoring programs across the institution.”