New drug for Parkinson's reduces disability

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

An additional drug called rasagiline can reduce disability among patients who have advanced Parkinson's disease.
Most people who have Parkinson's disease often develop movement-based disability. Many drugs have been developed to be used in addition with the standard treatment, levodopa. Most of these have provided only partial improvement though.

In a new study, researchers at University Hospital, Toulouse, France, looked at a new drug called rasagiline in this context as well as another drug called entacapone. The group of 687 patients received either one of the drugs or placebo along with their levodopa. Both rasagiline and entacapone reduced disability time and the former was similar in its side effect profile to the placebo. The findings suggest that rasagiline is a safe, effective and simple treatment for Parkinson's disease, when used in conjunction with levodopa.

Source
The Lancet 12th March 2005

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