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This was forwarded to me...thought it might be something the ListServe would be interested in. Larry 54TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY IMPORTANT NEW STUDY SHOWS REQUIP® (ROPINIROLE) SLOWS THE LOSS OF DOPAMINE FUNCTION IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE Dopamine Loss is an Indicator of Parkinson's Disease Progression The D2/D3 dopamine agonist Requip® (ropinirole) significantly slows the loss of dopamine function when compared to the older generation treatment for Parkinson's Disease levodopa (L-dopa), according to the results of the important new REAL-PET study1, announced today at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). This study provides clear evidence that Requip, a second generation D2/D3 dopamine agonist, slows the loss of dopamine in the brain specifically in the substantia nigra and putamen, compared with L-dopa. Loss of dopamine is a surrogate marker of Parkinson's Disease progression. "The results of this study are very exciting. Requip has been shown to slow the progression of dopamine dysfunction associated with Parkinson's Disease. This was demonstrated in both the striatum and the basal ganglia," commented Professor David Brooks, lead investigator and Hartnett Professor of Neurology at the Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK. "These results should certainly stimulate debate on the way we treat early Parkinson's disease." The REAL-PET (Requip as Early Therapy versus L-dopa - PET) study was a multicentre, double-blind, parallel-group trial using a state-of-the-art computer brain imaging technique called three-dimensional positron emission tomography (3D PET), specifically designed to evaluate changes in F-dopa uptake. The study randomised 186 early Parkinson's Disease patients in a 1:1 ratio to two years' treatment with either ropinirole or L-dopa, the traditional treatment for Parkinson's Disease. The primary endpoint of the study was the change in putamen 18F-dopa uptake (a surrogate marker for the quantity of functioning dopaminergic brain cells) between the outset of the trial and after two-years' treatment. Based on an analysis carried out at the Hammersmith Hospital in London of all PET scans, reduction in putamen 18F-dopa uptake was up to 35 per cent less in the brains of patients treated with ropinirole compared to L-dopa (p=0.022). This means that the loss of functioning dopamine neurones in the areas of the brain involved with Parkinson's Disease was up to 35 per cent less in patients receiving ropinirole compared to L-dopa. The clinical significance of these results needs to be further evaluated. The secondary outcomes included the incidence of dyskinesia, motor scores, global assessments of clinical functioning and adverse events. The study demonstrated a significantly reduced risk of the involuntary, jerky movements known as dyskinesia in individuals treated with Requip, compared to L-dopa. Requip treated patients had a ten times lower risk of experiencing dyskinesia than those in the L-dopa group (3 percent compared to 27 percent respectively; p<0.001). These results are consistent with the findings of an earlier study by Rascol et al. (2) There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups' functioning as assessed on Clinical Global Impression (CGI) improvement scores at baseline and after one year of treatment. After initial improvement in United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) for both groups, scores for the ropinirole group returned to baseline, while those for L-dopa-treated patients remained improved. Requip Requip is indicated for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Requip is a second-generation D2/D3 dopamine agonist. It is generally well tolerated and available in a variety of strengths for flexible dosing up to 24 mg/day to meet individual patients needs. Requip has been associated with sedating effects, including somnolence, and the possibility of falling asleep while engaged in activities of daily living, including operation of a motor vehicle. Syncope or symptomatic hypotension may occur more frequently during initial treatment or with an increase in dose. Hallucinations may occur at any time during treatment. Requip may potentiate the dopaminergic side effects of L-dopa and may cause and/or exacerbate pre-existing dyskinesias. A progressively disabling disease Parkinson's disease is a devastating, chronic neurological condition characterised by progressive disabling disturbances in movement and balance. It is understood to be caused by loss of dopamine in the neurones (nerve cells) in parts of the brain such as the substantia nigra, which plays a central role in the voluntary control of movement. The results are characteristic symptoms such as bradykinesia (slowness of movement), muscle stiffness, tremor, and balance and gait problems. According to the World Parkinson's Disease Association, more than four million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's disease, making it the most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's. GlaxoSmithKline is one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. References 1. Whone A L, Remy P, Davis M R, et al. The REAL-PET Study: slower progression in early Parkinson's disease treated with ropinirole compared with L-dopa. 54th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Denver, 2002. 2. Rascol O, Brooks D J, Korczyn A D, et al, for the 056 Study Group. A five-year study of the incidence of dyskinesia in patients with early Parkinson's disease who were treated with ropinirole or L-dopa. New England Journal of Medicine 2000; 342: 1484-91 Work, like you don't need the money. Love, like you've never been hurt. Dance, like no one's watching. Live, like it's heaven on earth! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn