Abstract

Levodopa is the main pharmacologic treatment for Parkinson’s disease. However, the long-term administration of levodopa is associated with the development of motor complications which can seriously compromise patient function. Increasing evidence indicates that such problems are related to abnormal pulsatile stimulation of striatal dopamine receptors and that treatments providing more continuous stimulation reduce the risk of motor complications. It is possible that administering levodopa with a reversible catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitor at frequent intervals might reduce the risk of these complications. Stalevo® (Orion) combines levodopa, the dopa-decarboxylase inhibitor carbidopa and the catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitor entacapone in a single tablet. This review provides an overview of the initial clinical experience gained with Stalevo during clinical trials, including several case studies.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.