PARKINSON'S DISEASE NEWS

27th April 2010 - News release

THE FURTHER WITHDRAWAL OF NEUPRO
                                                                                                                                                                                
In April 2008, Neupro was withdrawn from use in the U.S.A. because specific batches of Neupro had deviated from their specification. Neupro (Rotigotine) is a dopamine agonist used with Parkinson's Disease that, via a skin patch, provides a slow and constant supply of Rotigotine over the course of 24 hours. For more information go to Neupro. The FDA have informed the manufacturers UCB that Neupro must be reformulated before it can be made available again in the U.S.A.. This means that Neupro could be withdrawn from use for another two years. In June 2009, UCB proposed new refrigerated storage conditions to alleviate crystallization on the patches. The FDA "agrees that the proposed new refrigeration conditions significantly inhibit the degree of crystallization on the patches, but has recommended that the definitive resolution of the crystallization is to reformulate the drug product". This FDA decision does not impact product supply and availability in Europe and the rest of the world. For more information go to the complete News release.  In order to refer to this article on its own click here.

22nd April 2010 - New research

DYES ARE STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE

International journal of Neuroscience [2010] 120 (5) : 361-367 (Hristina VD, Sipetic SB, Maksimovic JM, Marinkovic JM, Dzoljic ED, Ratkov IS, Kostic VS.)  Complete abstract
                                                                                                                                                                                
Researchers assessed the association between Parkinson's Disease and a variety of environmental factors. Of these, Parkinson's Disease was, by far, the most highly associated with the use of dyes. Use of dyes increased the likelihood of Parkinson's Disease by 25 times, which is far more than other environmental factors commonly believed to increase the likelihood of Parkinson's Disease. The researchers make no suggestion as to which chemicals in dyes caused the strong association between the use of dyes and Parkinson's Disease. However, some dyes include chemicals such as toluene, that are known causes of Parkinson's Disease. The other factors they found associated with Parkinson's Disease in order of likelihood are : naphtha, which is a product of petroleum (9 times more likely), and the following, all probably because of pesticides : gardening (5 times more likely), insecticides (3 times more likely), well water drinking (2 times more likely), spring water drinking (2 times more likely). In order to refer to this article on its own click here.

18th April 2010 - New research

GLYCOPYRROLATE FOR SIALORRHEA IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Neurology [2010] 74 (15) : 1203-1207 (Arbouw ME, Movig KL, Koopmann M, Poels PJ, Guchelaar HJ, Egberts TC, Neef C, van Vugt JP)  Complete abstract
                                                                                                                                                                                
Sialorrhea (excessive saliva) affects 3 out of every 4  people with Parkinson's Disease. Sialorrhea is often treated with anticholinergics, but side effects limit their usefulness. Glycopyrrolate (glycopyrronium bromide) is an anticholinergic drug that is not able to cross the blood-brain barrier in considerable amounts. Therefore, glycopyrrolate exhibits minimal central nervous system side effects, which may be an advantage in people with Parkinson's Disease.

In a clinical trial the severity of the sialorrhea was scored on a daily basis by the patients or a caregiver with a sialorrhea scoring scale ranging from 1 (no sialorrhea) to 9 (profuse sialorrhea). Around 39% of people taking glycopyrrolate had a clinically relevant improvement of at least 30%, without side effects. The authors concluded that 1 mg 3 times daily is an effective and safe therapy for sialorrhea in Parkinson disease. However, these results also mean that around 60% of people with Parkinson's Disease do not significantly benefit from its use. In order to refer to this article on its own click here.

14th April 2010 - New research

THE EFFECT OF NEUPRO ON PARKINSON'S DISEASE
                                                                                                                                                                                
Evidence of Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) improving symptoms of Parkinson's Disease was presented at the 62nd American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Canada. Neupro (Rotigotine) is a dopamine agonist used with Parkinson's Disease that, via a skin patch, provides a slow and constant supply of Rotigotine over the course of 24 hours. For more information go to Neupro. Rotigotine showed significantly greater improvement than the use of a placebo in early morning muscular symptoms, sleep quality, fatigue, mood, cognition, attention and memory. The effect persisted over a long period of time. The most frequently reported adverse events were nausea (21%), application site reactions (15%), and dizziness (10%). However, the use of Neupro can cause a wide variety of, sometimes serious, side effects. The use of any dopamine agonist, including Neupro, will also eventually cause a decrease in the sensitivity of the same dopamine receptors that it is intended to stimulate.

In April 2008, Neupro was withdrawn from use in the U.S.A. because specific batches of Neupro had deviated from their specification. UCB is working with the U.S. FDA so that Neupro can be available to patients with early-stage Parkinson's Disease as soon as possible. Neupro is not approved for use in Canada either, but is available in Europe. For more information go to the News release.  In order to refer to this article on its own click here.

 

12th April 2010 - New book

DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION PROGRAMMING : PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

Erwin B.Montgomery

Publisher's description : Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a remarkable therapy for an expanding range of neurological disorders, including Parkinson's Disease. Post-operative programming of the DBS systems seems unfamiliar, even mysterious, and is viewed as difficult and time consuming. Even these principles can be relatively easy to grasp. The book helps the reader to obtain an intuitive understanding of the basic principles of electronics, electrophysiology and the relevant regional anatomy through the use of readily understood metaphors and numerous illustrations. The book provides an introduction to where some of the new theories may lead particularly with the growing awareness of the importance of oscillations in the brain's activities. The brain has more in common with electrical devices, such as computers, than it does to a stew of chemicals.  Click here for more details. For more books concerning Parkinson's Disease go to Parkinson's Disease Books.

2nd April 2010 - News release

STALEVO IS LINKED TO PROSTATE CANCER
                                                                                                                                                                                
It has been claimed that Stalevo, which is used for  the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, may be linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer. Stalevo is a combination of L-dopa, carbidopa, and entacapone. For more information go to Stalevo. Entacapone is also available as a single-product ingredient called Comtan.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is evaluating clinical trial data suggesting that patients taking Stalevo, may be at an increased risk for developing prostate cancer. The number of people taking Stalevo with prostate cancer was small, but it was still four times what would otherwise be expected. The FDA's review of Stalevo is ongoing and so no new conclusions or recommendations about the use of this drug have been made. They consequently suggest that "Patients should not stop taking their medication unless directed to do so by their healthcare professional". For more information go to the News release.  In order to refer to this article on its own click here.