Levodopa-treated Patients Research Articles

Long-term safety and efficacy of safinamide as add-on therapy in levodopa-treated Japanese patients with Parkinson's disease with wearing-off: Results of an open-label study

IntroductionSafinamide, a selective, reversible monoamine oxidase B inhibitor with a sodium channel inhibitory effect, improves symptoms in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to confirm the long-term safety and efficacy of safinamide in Japanese PD patients with wearing-off. MethodsJapanese PD patients aged ≥30 years with wearing-off were eligible. The primary efficacy endpoint was change from baseline in the mean daily ON-time without troublesome dyskinesias at 52 weeks of treatment. Other efficacy endpoints included changes from baseline in mean daily OFF-time and unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) and PDQ-39 scores. ResultsIn total, 203 patients entered the study, and 142 completed the 52-week treatment. Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 78.3% of patients, with nasopharyngitis (20.7%) and dyskinesias (17.7%) as the most common; serious AEs occurred in 17.2%, causing discontinuation in 10.8%. At Week 52, the mean daily ON-time without troublesome dyskinesias increased from baseline by 1.42 h. Change from baseline in mean daily OFF-time was −1.40 h, and that in the UPDRS Part III score in the ON-phase was −6.20. ConclusionsAs adjunctive treatment with levodopa, safinamide was safe, well tolerated, and effective in improving ON-time and other PD symptoms at 52 weeks.

Effect of an Increase in Dose of Istradefylline, an A2A Receptor Antagonist, in Levodopa-Treated Patients with Parkinson’s Disease (1962)

Effect of an Increase in Dose of Istradefylline, an A2A Receptor Antagonist, in Levodopa-Treated Patients with Parkinson’s Disease (1962)

Safety Profile of Opicapone in the Management of Parkinson's Disease.

Opicapone is a catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor indicated for use as adjunct to levodopa therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and motor fluctuations. To characterize the safety and tolerability of adjunct opicapone (25 and 50 mg) in a pooled population of levodopa-treated PD patients who participated in the opicapone Phase-3 clinical program. Patient-level data (placebo, opicapone 25 mg and 50 mg) from the BIPARK-1 and BIPARK-2 double-blind and open-label studies were combined. Pooled analyses included 766 patients from the double-blind studies and 848 patients from the open-label studies. In the double-blind studies, 63.3% of opicapone-treated patients reported treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) versus 57.2% in the placebo group. The most common TEAEs reported in the opicapone group compared to placebo were dyskinesia, constipation and insomnia. The incidence of serious TEAEs was similar across opicapone and placebo groups (3.5% versus 4.3%, respectively). Overall, 71.3% patients treated with open-label opicapone reported at least one TEAE; most occurred within the first 2 months of the open-label studies, and then decreased thereafter. Throughout the Phase-3 clinical program, there were no serious AEs suggestive of hepatic toxicity, and the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders such as nausea and diarrhea remained low (<2%). There were no relevant changes in laboratory parameters including liver enzymes, vital signs, physical or neurological examinations, or ECG readings. Long-term use of opicapone once-daily over 1-year at doses of 25 mg or 50 mg was generally safe and well tolerated, supporting its clinical usefulness in the management of PD motor fluctuations.

Efficacy of opicapone in Parkinson’s disease patients according to baseline presence of dyskinesia: A post-hoc analysis from combined BIPARK-I and II

To evaluate the efficacy of opicapone (OPC) in levodopa-treated Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients with or without baseline presence of dyskinesia (BPDys). OPC, a once-daily COMT inhibitor, proved effective in the treatment of motor fluctuations in PD patients in two large, pivotal, multinational trials (BIPARK-I and II) [[1]Ferreira et al.Lancet Neurol. 2016; 15: 154-165Google Scholar,[2]Lees et al.JAMA Neurol. 2017; 74: 197-206Google Scholar]. Patient-level data from matching treatment arms in BIPARK-I and II were combined in placebo (PLC) and OPC-50 mg groups. Studies had similar designs (primary efficacy endpoint: change from baseline in patient diaries-based absolute OFF-time) and eligibility criteria [[1]Ferreira et al.Lancet Neurol. 2016; 15: 154-165Google Scholar,[2]Lees et al.JAMA Neurol. 2017; 74: 197-206Google Scholar]. Key secondary endpoints included analysis of responders (>1 h OFF-time reduction or >1 h ON-time increase). A post-hoc analysis was performed to evaluate OPC-50 mg and PLC efficacies in levodopa-treated PD patients according to BPDys (assessed by UPDRS question 32). In total, 535 patients were randomized; Full Analysis Set comprised 517 [PLC (n = 255); OPC-50 mg (n = 262)]. 47% (PLC) to 50% (OPC-50 mg) of patients reported BPDys. Mean placebo-adjusted OFF-time reduction was −50.5 min (p = 0.0080) and −67.3 min (p = 0.0005) for OPC-50 mg patients with and without BPDys. There was ~65% more OFF-time reduction in PLC patients with BPDys than in those without. A higher-than-PLC proportion of OPC-50 mg-receiving patients with BPDys achieved OFF- (67.9% vs. 50.8%; p < 0.0060) and ON-time (65.6% vs. 45.1%; p = 0.0011) responders’ endpoint. Consistently, a higher-than-PLC proportion of OPC-50 mg-receiving patients with absence of dyskinesia achieved OFF- (67.2% vs. 47.4%; p = 0.0010) and ON-time (61.1% vs. 45.9%; p = 0.0115) responders’ endpoint. Opicapone was effective regardless of baseline presence of dyskinesia.

Efficacy of opicapone in Parkinson’s disease patients according to baseline rasagiline use: A post-hoc analysis from combined BIPARK-I and II

To evaluate opicapone’s (OPC) efficacy in levodopa-treated Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients with or without concurrent rasagiline use (CRU). OPC, a once-daily COMT inhibitor, proved effective in the treatment of motor fluctuations in PD patients in two large, pivotal, multinational trials (BIPARK-I and II) [[1]Ferreira et al.Lancet Neurol. 2016; 15: 154-165Google Scholar,[2]Lees et al.JAMA Neurol. 2017; 74: 197-206Google Scholar]. Patient-level data from matching treatment arms in BIPARK-I and II were combined in placebo (PLC) and OPC-50 mg groups. Studies had similar designs (primary efficacy endpoint: change from baseline in patient diaries-based absolute OFF-time) and eligibility criteria [[1]Ferreira et al.Lancet Neurol. 2016; 15: 154-165Google Scholar,[2]Lees et al.JAMA Neurol. 2017; 74: 197-206Google Scholar]. This exploratory post-hoc analysis was performed to evaluate OPC-50 mg and PLC efficacies in levodopa-treated PD patients with or without baseline CRU (the most commonly used MAO-B inhibitor). In total, 535 patients were randomized; Full Analysis Set comprised 517 [PLC (n = 255); OPC-50 mg (n = 262)]. 12 (PLC) to 15% (OPC-50 mg) of patients were using rasagiline at baseline. Mean placebo-adjusted OFF-time reductions were −81.1 min (p = 0.0469) and −54.2 min (p = 0.0002) for OPC-50 mg patients with and without CRU. There was ~35% more OFF-time reduction in PLC patients without CRU than in those with, but ~9% less OFF-time reduction in OPC-50 mg patients without CRU than in those with. A higher-than-PLC proportion of OPC-50 mg-receiving patients with CRU achieved OFF- (40.0% vs. 66.7%; p = 0.0283) and ON-time (40.0% vs. 64.1%; p = 0.0491) responders’ endpoint. Consistently, a higher-than-PLC proportion of OPC-50 mg-receiving patients without CRU achieved OFF- (50.2% vs. 67.7%; p = 0.0002) and ON-time (46.2% vs. 63.2%; p = 0.0003) responders’ endpoint. Opicapone was effective regardless of concurrent rasagiline use.

Efficacy of opicapone in Parkinson’s disease patients according to baseline pramipexole use: A post-hoc analysis from combined BIPARK-I and II

To evaluate opicapone’s (OPC) efficacy in levodopa-treated Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients with or without concurrent pramipexole use (CPU). OPC, a once-daily COMT inhibitor, proved effective in the treatment of motor fluctuations in PD patients in two large, pivotal, multinational trials (BIPARK-I and II) [[1]Ferreira et al.Lancet Neurol. 2016; 15: 154-165Google Scholar,[2]Lees et al.JAMA Neurol. 2017; 74: 197-206Google Scholar]. Patient-level data from matching treatment arms in BIPARK-I and II were combined in placebo (PLC) and OPC-50 mg groups. Studies had similar designs (primary efficacy endpoint: change from baseline in patient diaries-based absolute OFF-time) and eligibility criteria [[1]Ferreira et al.Lancet Neurol. 2016; 15: 154-165Google Scholar,[2]Lees et al.JAMA Neurol. 2017; 74: 197-206Google Scholar]. This exploratory post-hoc analysis was performed to evaluate OPC-50 mg and PLC efficacies in levodopa-treated PD patients with or without baseline CPU (the most commonly used dopamine agonist). In total, 535 patients were randomized; Full Analysis Set comprised 517 [PLC (n = 255); OPC-50 mg (n = 262)]. About 37% of patients in each arm were using pramipexole at baseline. Mean placebo-adjusted OFF-time reductions were −89.0 min (p = 0.0001) and −39.8 min (p = 0.0165) for OPC-50 mg patients with and without CPU. There was ~45% more OFF-time reduction in PLC patients without CPU than in those with, but ~20% less OFF-time reduction in OPC-50 mg patients without CPU than in those with. A higher-than-PLC proportion of OPC-50 mg-receiving patients with CPU achieved OFF- (72.9% vs. 40.4%; p < 0.0001) and ON-time (68.8% vs. 42.6%; p = 0.0003) responders’ endpoint. Consistently, a higher-than-PLC proportion of OPC-50 mg-receiving patients without CPU achieved OFF- (64.5% vs. 54.0%; p = 0.0551) and ON-time (60.2% vs. 47.2%; p = 0.0169) responders’ endpoint. Opicapone was effective regardless of concurrent pramipexole use.

Levodopa-induced dyskinesia in dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson disease with dementia.

To investigate the frequency of levodopa-induced dyskinesia in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLBs) and Parkinson disease with dementia (PDD) and compare these frequencies with patients with incident Parkinson disease (PD) through a population-based cohort study. We identified all patients with DLB, PDD, and PD without dementia in a 1991-2010 population-based parkinsonism-incident cohort, in Olmsted County, Minnesota. We abstracted information about levodopa-induced dyskinesia. We compared patients with DLB and PDD with dyskinesia with patients with PD from the same cohort. Levodopa use and dyskinesia data were available for 141/143 (98.6%) patients with a diagnosis of either DLB or PDD; 87 (61.7%), treated with levodopa. Dyskinesia was documented in 12.6% (8 DLB and 3 PDD) of levodopa-treated patients. Among these patients, median parkinsonism diagnosis age was 74 years (range: 64-80 years); 63.6%, male. The median interval from levodopa initiation to dyskinesia onset was 2 years (range: 3 months-4 years); the median daily levodopa dosage was 600 mg (range: 50-1,600 mg). Dyskinesia severity led to levodopa adjustments in 5 patients, and all improved. Patients with dyskinesia were diagnosed with parkinsonism at a significantly younger age compared with patients without dyskinesia (p < 0.001). Levodopa dosage was unrelated to increased risk of dyskinesias among DLB and PDD. In contrast, 30.1% of levodopa-treated patients with PD developed dyskinesia. In age-, sex-, and levodopa dosage-adjusted models, Patients with DLB and PDD each had lower odds of developing dyskinesia than patients with PD (odds ratio = 0.42, 95% CI 0.21-0.88; p = 0.02). The dyskinesia risk for levodopa-treated patients with DLB or PDD was substantially less than for levodopa-treated patients with PD.

Early‐morning OFF and levodopa dose failures in patients with Parkinson's disease attending a routine clinical appointment using Time‐to‐ON Questionnaire

In patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with motor fluctuations, total daily OFF time is comprised of both end-of-dose time and the time taken to turn ON with medication. However, little is known about the impact of delays in ON time. This was a single-visit pilot study of fluctuating patients with PD attending a routine appointment. During a single visit, adult patients with idiopathic PD who were treated with levodopa for at least 1year completed a questionnaire evaluating the time waiting for ON and the symptoms experienced while waiting to turn ON. Patients then completed a 5-day home time-to-ON diary, where they documented how long it took to turn ON following their first morning dose of levodopa in 5-min increments. A total of 151 consecutive patients completed the study survey, of whom 97 (64.2%) experienced motor fluctuations. Of the patients experiencing motor fluctuations, 54 (56%) reported delays in ON time (latency >30min) following their first morning dose of levodopa. Half (51%) reported that they had experienced delayed ON at least once in the previous week and 21% reported having delayed ON during all seven mornings of the previous week. In addition, 10% of patients reported having dose failures on four or more mornings during the previous week. The most common symptoms experienced while waiting for ON were slowness (94.8%), fatigue (87.6%), reduced dexterity (82.5%), problems in walking (66.0%) and problems with balance (59.8%). Early-morning OFF problems such as delays in time to ON and dose failures are common in levodopa-treated patients with PD.

Long-term safety and efficacy of adjunctive rasagiline in levodopa-treated Japanese patients with Parkinson\u2019s disease

Rasagiline is a monoamine oxidase type-B inhibitor in development in Japan for Parkinson’s disease (PD). This open-label study evaluated the long-term safety and efficacy of rasagiline in Japanese patients with PD receiving levodopa. Patients were aged 30–79 years and had wearing-off or weakened effect. Patients received rasagiline 1 mg/day for 52 weeks. The primary objective was to evaluate safety. Secondary endpoints included MDS-UPDRS Part II and Part III total scores (ON-state) and change from baseline in mean daily OFF-time. An additional endpoint was the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) Summary Index (SI) score. In total, 222 patients were enrolled; 52.3% had wearing-off phenomena. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were mostly mild or moderate and occurred in 83.3% of patients; 63.1% had drug-related TEAEs; and 21.2% had TEAEs resulting in discontinuation. Fall (16.7%), nasopharyngitis (14.0%), and dyskinesia (10.8%) were the most frequent TEAEs. Serious TEAEs were reported in 17.6% of patients, and led to discontinuation in 9.5%. At week 52 (last-observation-carried forward), the mean change from baseline in MDS-UPDRS Part III total score (ON-state) was − 7.6; the mean change from baseline in daily OFF-time was − 0.89 h in patients with wearing-off phenomena at the start of the run-in period. The mean change from baseline in PDQ-39 SI was − 0.64. No major safety issues were observed during this 52-week trial of rasagiline as an adjunct to levodopa in Japanese patients. Mean changes in MDS-UPDRS scores and daily OFF-time suggested that adjunctive rasagiline treatment with levodopa was efficacious, with efficacy maintained for at least 52 weeks.

Levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson disease

To assess dyskinesia frequency in a population-based cohort of patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Dyskinesia complicates levodopa treatment and affects quality of life. Utilizing the 1991-2010 population-based, parkinsonism-incident cohort of Olmsted County, MN (n = 669), accessed via the Rochester Epidemiology Project, we identified patients with PD and abstracted levodopa-related dyskinesia information. Of 309 patients with PD (46.2% with parkinsonisms), 279 (90.3%) received levodopa. Most (230/279; 82.4%) had been treated by a Mayo Clinic neurologist. Median age of the 309 patients with PD at the time of diagnosis was 74.1 years (range 33.1-97.8 years). Median-age levodopa initiation in this cohort was 75 years (range 37-98 years), and median-duration levodopa treatment was 6 years (range 2 months to 19.8 years). Dyskinesia was documented in 84 of 279 patients (30.1%). Median time from levodopa initiation to dyskinesia onset was 4 years (range 2 months to 20 years); those with dyskinesia (65.5%; 55/84) developed it within 5 years of levodopa initiation (9 within the first year). Dyskinesia was mild in 57/84 (67.9%), moderate in 16/84 (19.1%), and severe in 9/84 (10.7%); severity was not reported in 2 cases. Dyskinesia severity led to levodopa adjustments or amantadine initiation in 60.7% (51/84 of those with dyskinesia), with improvement in 23/51 (45.1%). Thirteen patients with dyskinesia underwent deep brain stimulation, reporting marked improvement. Postmortem examination confirmed Lewy body disease in 7 autopsied cases. Levodopa-induced dyskinesia affected 30% of the patients with PD in our cohort. Mayo neurologists favoring levodopa dosage optimization treated most patients. Dyskinesia was severe in 3.2% of all levodopa-treated patients with PD (10.7% of all patients with dyskinesia) with marked improvement among those treated with deep brain stimulation.

Adjunct rasagiline to treat Parkinson\u2019s disease with motor fluctuations: a randomized, double-blind study in China

BackgroundThe use of adjunct rasagiline in levodopa-treated patients with Parkinson’s disease and motor fluctuations is supported by findings from large-scale clinical studies. This study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of adjunct rasagiline in Chinese patients with Parkinson’s disease, as a product registration study.MethodsThis 16-week, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter, placebo-controlled study of rasagiline 1 mg/day included levodopa-treated patients with Parkinson’s disease and motor fluctuations. The primary efficacy endpoint was mean change from baseline in total daily OFF time over 16 weeks. Secondary endpoints were Clinical Global Impressions – Improvement (CGI-I), and change in Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Activities of daily living (ADL) and Motor scores. Patient well-being (EQ-5D), and the frequency of adverse events were also assessed.ResultsIn total, 324 levodopa-treated patients were randomized to rasagiline 1 mg/day (n = 165) or placebo (n = 159). Over 16 weeks, rasagiline statistically significantly reduced the mean [95% confidence interval] total daily OFF time versus placebo (− 0.5 h [− 0.92, − 0.07]; p = 0.023). There were also statistically significant improvements versus placebo in CGI-I (− 0.4 points [− 0.61, − 0.22]; p < 0.001), UPDRS-ADL OFF (− 1.0 points [− 1.75, − 0.27]; p = 0.008), and UPDRS-Motor ON (− 1.6 points [− 3.05, − 0.14]; p = 0.032) scores, as well as the EQ-5D utility index (p < 0.05). Rasagiline was safe and well tolerated.ConclusionsIn levodopa-treated Chinese patients with Parkinson’s disease and motor fluctuations, adjunct rasagiline 1 mg/day statistically significantly reduced OFF time, and improved daily function and overall well-being, versus placebo. Consistent with findings in other countries, adjunct rasagiline was proven efficacious and well tolerated in Chinese patients.Trial registration numberNCT01479530. Registered 22 November 2011.

Safinamide: an add-on treatment for managing Parkinson's disease.

Heterogeneous expression of neurotransmitter deficits results from onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease. Intervals, characterized by reappearance of motor and associated certain nonmotor symptoms, determine the end of good tolerability and efficacy of oral levodopa therapy. These “OFF” states result from levodopa pharmacokinetics and disease progression-related deterioration of the central buffering capacity for fluctuations of dopamine levels. This review discusses safinamide as an add-on therapeutic agent in orally levodopa-treated patients with “OFF” phenomena. Safinamide provided beneficial effects on “OFF” symptoms in pivotal trials with doses of 50 or 100 mg once daily. Safinamide reversibly inhibits mono-amine oxidase B and declines abnormal glutamate release by modulation of potassium- and sodium ion channels. An ideal candidate for combination with safinamide is opicapone. This inhibitor of peripheral catechol-O-methyltransferase supports continuous brain delivery of levodopa and, thus, the continuous dopaminergic stimulation concept. Both compounds with their once-daily application and good tolerability may complement each other by reduction of necessary oral levodopa intakes and “OFF” times. Thus, a promising, future option will be combination of safinamide and opicapone in one formulation. It will reduce adherence issues and may complement levodopa treatment. It will probably cause less nausea and edema than a dopamine agonist/levodopa regimen.

Could istradefylline be a treatment option for postural abnormalities in mid-stage Parkinson's disease?

BasegroundPostural abnormalities are refractory complications observed in mid- to late-stage Parkinson's disease (PD). MethodsWe analyzed the effects of istradefylline, a selective adenosine A2A receptor antagonist, on posture in 21 levodopa-treated PD patients from the subanalysis of a three-month open-label study. ResultsThe subitem score of posture (3.13) on the Movement Disorder Society revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) part III significantly improved following istradefylline treatment (baseline, 1.3±1.0 points vs 3months, 0.9±0.9 points; p<0.05). Among 18 patients who had postural abnormalities at baseline, defined as 1 point or greater on MDS-UPDRS part III subitem 3.13, posture improved in 9 (50%) and was unchanged in 9 (50%) patients after istradefylline treatment. Improved and unchanged groups did not show differences in baseline characteristics, except for tendency for a higher rate of Hoehn and Yahr stage IV and V (Off state) observed in the improved group. Changes in scores of posture (3.13) did not correlate with those of other MDS-UPDRS part III items, PD Questionnaire-8, PD Sleep Scale-2 and Epworth Sleepiness Scale. ConclusionBased on our preliminary findings, istradefylline could be an effective treatment option for postural abnormalities in mid-stage PD patients.

Loss of phosphodiesterase 4 in Parkinson disease: Relevance to cognitive deficits.

To assess in vivo the expression of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) and its relevance to cognitive symptoms in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) using [11C]rolipram PET. We studied 12 levodopa-treated patients with PD with no concurrent diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Their data were compared with those from 12 healthy controls. All participants underwent neuropsychiatric and cognitive assessment using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Parametric images of [11C]rolipram volume of distribution (VT) values were determined with the Logan plot. Patients with PD performed worse than healthy controls in cognitive examinations assessing psychomotor speed, episodic memory, and spatial working memory and executive function. Patients with PD showed reductions in [11C]rolipram VT compared to healthy controls, in the caudate (28%), thalamus (23%), hypothalamus (32%), and cortex (16%). Within thalamic subregions, [11C]rolipram VT values in patients with PD were decreased by 12%-32%, with most marked decreases observed in prefrontal and temporal thalamic nuclei, whereas motor nuclei were less affected. Within the cortex, [11C]rolipram VT values in patients with PD were decreased by 11%-20%, with most marked decreases observed in posterior dorsolateral frontal cortex, medial frontal cortex, and supplementary motor area, whereas orbitofrontal cortex was less affected. Worse performance in spatial working memory correlated with lower [11C]rolipram VT values in posterior dorsolateral frontal cortex, medial frontal cortex, supplementary motor area, precentral gyrus, caudate, and prefrontal thalamic nuclei. Our findings demonstrate loss of PDE4 expression in the striato-thalamo-cortical circuit, which is associated with deficits of spatial working memory in patients with PD.

Opicapone as Adjunct to Levodopa Therapy in Patients With Parkinson Disease and Motor Fluctuations

Catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors are an established treatment for end-of-dose motor fluctuations associated with levodopa therapy in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Current COMT inhibitors carry a high risk for toxic effects to hepatic cells or show moderate improvement. Opicapone was designed to be effective without the adverse effects. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 25- and 50-mg/d dosages of opicapone compared with placebo as adjunct to levodopa therapy in patients with PD experiencing end-of-dose motor fluctuations. This phase 3 international, multicenter outpatient study evaluated a 25- and a 50-mg/d dosage of opicapone in a randomized, double-blind, 14- to 15-week, placebo-controlled clinical trial, followed by a 1-year open-label phase during which all patients received active treatment with opicapone. Patients with PD who experienced signs of end-of-dose deterioration and had a mean total awake off-time (state of akinesia or decreased mobility) of at least 1.5 hours, not including morning akinesia, were enrolled. Data were collected from March 18, 2011, through June 25, 2013. Data from the evaluable population were analyzed from July 31, 2013, to July 31, 2014. The primary efficacy outcome of the double-blind phase was the change from baseline in absolute off-time vs placebo based on patient diaries. The open-label phase focused on maintenance of treatment effect in off-time. A total of 427 patients (258 men [60.4%] and 169 women [39.6%]; mean [SD] age, 63.1 [8.8] years) were randomized to a 25-mg/d (n = 129) or a 50-mg/d (n = 154) dosage of opicapone or to placebo (n = 144). Of these, 376 patients completed the double-blind phase and entered the open-label phase, of whom 286 completed 1 year of open-label treatment. At the end of the double-blind phase, the least squares mean change (SE) in off-time was -64.5 (14.4) minutes for the placebo group, -101.7 (14.9) minutes for the 25-mg/d opicapone group, and -118.8 (13.8) minutes for the 50-mg/d opicapone group. The adjusted treatment difference vs placebo was significant for the 50-mg/d opicapone group (treatment effect, -54.3 [95% CI, -96.2 to -12.4] minutes; P = .008), but not for the 25-mg/d opicapone group (treatment effect, -37.2 [95% CI, -80.8 to 6.4] minutes; P = .11). The off-time reduction was sustained throughout the open-label phase (-126.3 minutes at 1-year open-label end point). The most common adverse events in the opicapone vs placebo groups were dyskinesia, constipation, and dry mouth. Fifty-one patients (11.9%) discontinued from the study during the double-blind phase. Treatment with a 50-mg once-daily dose of opicapone was associated with a significant reduction in mean daily off-time in levodopa-treated patients with PD and motor fluctuations, and this effect is maintained for at least 1 year. Opicapone was safe and well tolerated. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01227655.

The impact of early versus late levodopa administration.

Long-term levodopa therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with motor complications including motor fluctuations (MF) and levodopa-induced dyskinesias (LID). The time to appearance of MF and LID is apparently related to both the timing and the duration of levodopa therapy, but is highly variable. We performed a retrospective analysis of all levodopa-treated PD patients to explore the effect of time from PD onset to levodopa initiation on time to MF or LID. We used a Cox multivariate regression model after stratifying patients into four quartiles, according to the time to levodopa initiation. Data from 170 PD patients (117 males, age at onset: 65.1±11.6years, time to levodopa treatment: 23.8±28.4months) was included in the analysis. Early levodopa administration was associated with a shorter time from diagnosis to both MF (p<0.001) and LID (p=0.001). The hazard ratio to develop MF and LID from the time of PD diagnosis was 2.48 (p<0.001) and 2.71 (p=0.002), respectively. In our population, we found that delaying levodopa administration was associated with a longer time to the appearance of motor complications after diagnosis. While disease duration is the most important determinant of the onset of motor complications, delaying levodopa could prolong the 'complication-free' period.

Assessment of Safety and Efficacy of Safinamide as a Levodopa Adjunct in Patients With Parkinson Disease and Motor Fluctuations

Although levodopa remains the most effective oral pharmacotherapy for Parkinson disease (PD), its use is often limited by wearing off effect and dyskinesias. Management of such complications continues to be a significant challenge. To investigate the efficacy and safety of safinamide (an oral aminoamide derivative with dopaminergic and nondopaminergic actions) in levodopa-treated patients with motor fluctuations. From March 5, 2009, through February 23, 2012, patients from academic PD care centers were randomized (1:1 ratio) to receive double-blind adjunctive safinamide or placebo for 24 weeks. All patients had idiopathic PD with "off" time (time when medication effect has worn off and parkinsonian features, including bradykinesia and rigidity, return) of greater than 1.5 hours per day (excluding morning akinesia). Their pharmacotherapy included oral levodopa plus benserazide or carbidopa in a regimen that had been stable for 4 weeks or longer. During screening, each patient's regimen was optimized to minimize motor fluctuations. Study eligibility required that after 4 weeks of optimized treatment, the patients still have more than 1.5 hours per day of off time. Adverse events caused the premature study discontinuation of 12 individuals (4.4%) in the safinamide group and 10 individuals (3.6%) in the placebo group. Patients took safinamide or placebo as 1 tablet daily with breakfast. If no tolerability issues arose by day 14, the starting dose, 50 mg, was increased to 100 mg. The prespecified primary outcome was each treatment group's mean change from baseline to week 24 (or last "on" treatment value) in daily "on" time (relief of parkinsonian motor features) without troublesome dyskinesia, as assessed from diary data. At 119 centers, 549 patients were randomized (mean [SD] age, 61.9 [9.0] years; 334 male [60.8%] and 371 white [67.6%]): 274 to safinamide and 275 to placebo. Among them, 245 (89.4%) receiving safinamide and 241 (87.6%) receiving placebo completed the study. Mean (SD) change in daily on time without troublesome dyskinesia was +1.42 (2.80) hours for safinamide, from a baseline of 9.30 (2.41) hours, vs +0.57 (2.47) hours for placebo, from a baseline of 9.06 (2.50) hours (least-squares mean difference, 0.96 hour; 95% CI, 0.56-1.37 hours; P < .001, analysis of covariance). The most frequently reported adverse event was dyskinesia (in 40 [14.6%] vs 15 [5.5%] and as a severe event in 5 [1.8%] vs 1 [0.4%]). The outcomes of this trial support safinamide as an effective adjunct to levodopa in patients with PD and motor fluctuations to improve on time without troublesome dyskinesia and reduce wearing off. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT00627640.

Polyneuropathy in levodopa-treated Parkinson's patients

Recently published studies show that the prevalence of polyneuropathy (PNP) is higher in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) than in age-matched controls. Its pathogenesis, however is a matter of controversy. The major hypothesis is the toxicity of high concentrations of homocysteine (Hcy) possibly related to levodopa (LD) therapy.The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of PNP, independent of other etiologies, and to determine the relationship to demographic and clinical factors in LD-treated Parkinson's patients.A total of 102 patients (51 patients with PD and 51 sex- and age-matched healthy controls) were enrolled in the study. The presence of any risk factors for PNP, ascertained from the history and laboratory tests, was an exclusion criterion. The Toronto Clinical Scoring System (TCSS) was used for clinical assessment of PNP. The objective assessment was based on electroneurography (ENG) studies in which motor nerves (peroneal and tibial nerves) as well as sensory nerves (sural and superficial peroneal nerves) were bilaterally examined. The severity of the disease was determined using the UPDRS scale (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale) and the Hoehn-Yahr (H-Y) scale.In the PD group, the clinical and neurophysiological indicators of PNP, manifested as a symmetrical and predominantly sensory axonal neuropathy, were more frequent then in the control group and observed in 43.1% vs. 13.7% and 15.7% vs. 2% of subjects respectively. The presence of PNP correlated with age and the severity of PD. Patients with PD and PNP had a higher level of Hcy as compared to PD patients without PNP, however the difference was not statistically significant.The frequency of PNP in PD patients is higher than in controls. The characteristics and discrepancy between the number of patients with clinical and ENG detected PNP may suggest the small fiber neuropathy (SFN) as the dominant form of neuropathy in PD patients.

Biochemical and clinical effects of Whey protein supplementation in Parkinson's disease: A pilot study

BackgroundParkinson's disease (PD) is an oxidative stress-mediated degenerative disorder. Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) is frequently found in the levodopa-treated PD patients, is associated with disease progression and is a marker of oxidative stress. Whey protein is a rich source of cysteine, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). It has been shown that supplementation with Whey protein increases glutathione synthesis and muscle strength. Objectives and methodsIn this study, we conducted a placebo-controlled, double-blind study (NCT01662414) to investigate the effects of undenatured Whey protein isolate supplementation for 6months on plasma glutathione, plasma amino acids, and plasma Hcy in PD patients. Clinical outcome assessments included the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) and striatal L-3,4-dihydroxy-6-(18)F-fluorophenylalanine (FDOPA) uptake were determined before and after supplementation. 15 patients received Whey protein, and 17 received Soy protein, served as a control group. ResultsSignificant increases in plasma concentration of reduced glutathione and the ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione were found in the Whey-supplemented patients but not in a control group. This was associated with a significant decrease of plasma levels of Hcy. The plasma levels of total glutathione were not significantly changed in either group. Plasma BCAA and essential amino acids (EAA) were significantly increased in the Whey-supplemented group only. The UPDRS and striatal FDOPA uptake in PD patients were not significantly ameliorated in either group. However, significant negative correlation was observed between the UPDRS and plasma BCAA and EAA in the pre-supplemented PD patients. ConclusionThis study is the first to report that Whey protein supplementation significantly increases plasma reduced glutathione, the reduced to oxidized glutathione ratio, BCAAs and EAAs in patients with PD, together with a concomitant significant reduction of plasma Hcy. However, there were no significant changes in clinical outcomes. Long-term, large randomized clinical studies are needed to explore the benefits of Whey protein supplementation in the management of PD patients.

Incidence of Augmentation in Primary Restless Legs Syndrome Patients May Not Be That High: Evidence From A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Augmentation is a common complication of primary restless legs syndrome (RLS) during treatment; however, its incidence rate remains unclear.The aim of this study is investigate the rate of augmentation during RLS treatment.We searched 6 databases, including PubMed, OVID, Embase, Wiley citations, Web of Science research platform (including SciELO Citation Index, Medline, KCI Korean Journal Database, the Web of Science™ Core Collection), and the Cochrane library, and screened the reference lists of the included trials and recently published reviews.Randomized controlled trials and observational studies that reported augmentation events during RLS treatment.Primary RLS patients older than 18 years.No restrictions regarding intervention types were applied.Three investigators independently extracted and pooled the data to analyze the augmentation rate of the total sample and of patient subgroups with different interventions, treatment durations and drug regimens and different geographic origins. Fixed-effects or random-effects model was used for pooled analysis.A total of 60 studies involving 11,543 participants suggested an overall augmentation rate of 5.6% (95% confidence intervals (CI), 4.0-7.7). The augmentation incidence was 6.1% (95% CI, 4.1-9.1) for long-term treatment and 3.3% (95% CI, 1.4-7.3) for short-term treatment. In addition, 27.1% (95% CI, 12.3-49.5) of the levodopa-treated patients, 6.0% (95% CI, 4.1-8.8) of the patients treated with dopamine agonists, and 0.9% (95% CI, 0.2-3.3) of the patients taking pregabalin or gabapentin developed augmentation. Augmentation occurred in 7.2% (95% CI, 5.0-10.3) of the patients taking immediate-release drugs and in 1.7% (95% CI, 0.6-5.0) of the patients taking transdermal application.The main limitations are that the augmentation rates were not evaluated according to drug dosage, gender, and age and symptom severity.Approximately 5 to 6 in 100 RLS patients developed augmentation during treatment.