apomorphine is a dopamine agonist that acts primarily on the dopamine D4 receptor (less so on D2, D3 and D5, and minimally on D1) I believe it is approved in the USA for use only as a subcutaneous injection to be used as a rescue when a sudden off leaves one frozen. I also believe it has been approved in Europe for some time for the use described in the article. It is made by Vernalis. There is a wealth of informatiion about drugs on the FDA website - both the Orange Book allows you more search options (i.e., you can search on the patent, the active ingredient, the trade name, applicant holder and application # (not that anyone would know that, but there it is) but give you only the most basic information: http://www.fda.gov/cder/ob/ Drugs@FDA does not allow you to search on company name, just active ingredient and proprietary name, but it often provides the approval history for a drug, and, most importantly in my opinion, sometimes has the label/package insert, which sometimes contains very interesting information: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/ --- rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > "It doesn't work for everyone" is certainly true of > all PD meds...I wonder > why. How depressing. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Meg Duggan" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 7:18 AM > Subject: Re: apopmorphine > > > > Apomorphine is an injectible rescue therapy, trade > name Apokyn in US. > > Didn't do very well at launch, mainly because FDA > insisted that patients > > recieve training from neuros via several office > visits. I believe that > > Bertek had the drug at launch but has since sold > it off. Not sure who > > owns > > rights now, but I could certainly find out. I know > a couple of people that > > use it to kick on, not cheap and doesn't work for > everyone. Meg > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network > > [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of > rayilynlee > > Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2006 10:55 AM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: apopmorphine > > > > > > Anyone know anything about this drug? > > > > I WON'T BE BEATEN BY PARKINSON'S > > EX-CHAMPION BODYBUILDER IS LIFTING WEIGHTS AGAIN > AFTER 15 YEARS THANKS TO > > REVOLUTIONARY COMPUTERISED DRUG BELT > > By Samantha Booth > > A FORMER champion body builder, who was crippled > by Parkinson's disease > > for > > 15 years, has had his life transformed by > pioneering treatment. > > Fitness fanatic Michael Thompson, 59, won Mr > Inverclyde and Mr East of > > Scotland titles until he was struck down by > Parkinson's at the age of 44. > > Crippled and confined to a wheelchair by the age > of 57, Michael's once > > active life was destroyed by the disease. > > But now, after receiving the groundbreaking drug > Apomorphine, Michael is > > back lifting weights again. > > He hopes his experience can help lead to a major > breakthrough for > > thousands > > of other sufferers. > > Parkinson's disease, which affects one in 500 > people across Britain, had > > left the former champion bodybuilder suffering > from uncontrollable > > tremors. > > But after becoming only one of a handful of people > across the UK to try a > > pioneering treatment, Michael is walking - and > even lifting weights. > > Michael, of Greenock, has a special pump on a belt > around his waist which > > gradually releases a drug into his stomach to > control his tremors. > > Parkinson's has been had a high profile in recent > years with celebrities > > such as Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox among the > four million sufferers. > > After an agonising 13 years of suffering, > Michael's doctor recommended > > Apomorphine two years ago. > > Parkinson's is a progressive neurological > condition caused by the death of > > nerve cells in the base of the brain, called > neurons. > > These nerves usually produce a chemical called > dopamine that is used by > > the > > movement centres of the brain to maintain smooth > and fluid movement, and > > as > > Parkinson's disease progresses, they slowly > degenerate or die off. > > The brain loses its ability to produce dopamine, > causing sufferers to lose > > control of their body and muscle movement. > > They experience uncontrollable shaking, stiffness > in the limbs and > > slowness > > of movement. > > Apomorphine is often given to sufferers who have > had Parkinson's for 10 to > > 15 years, when tablets no longer work. > > The drug does not cure the disease but controls > the shaking and stiffness > > by > > imitating the action of dopamine and helping the > brain transmit signals to > > control body movements. > > It can be used either as an intermittent injection > to manage temporary > > lapses in control of the condition, or, as in > Michael's case, by > > continuous > > infusion through a computerised pump. > > The drug was discovered in the Fifties, but it was > not until the Eighties > > that it was used both in the diagnosis and > treatment of Parkinson's. It > > has > > only been used for continuous infusion in recent > years using the > > computerised pump. > > After initially getting a specialist nurse to fit > the pump every morning, > > Michael's wife Elizabeth, 60, now does it herself. > > She gives Michael a four mg dose of the drug every > morning through a > > syringe > > which is fitted to the pump. The pump is connected > to a line which is > > inserted into the skin on his stomach. > > The computerised device, tied around Michael's > waist, gradually releases > > the > > drug into his body over the next 12 hours. > > Dr Roger Barker, an expert on Parkinson's disease > from Cambridge > > University, > > said the drug was only used when other treatments > were no longer > > controlling > > the condition. > > But he stressed Apomorphine was not a cure, simply > a way of managing the > > symptoms. "The disease will carry on progressing, > and most people will > > find > > several years into the treatment that they will > start to break down > > again," > > he said. > > "They will usually get a few good years and then > move on to whatever drug > > is > > available next. They will stay on it until the > drug is not working any > > longer, or they start getting side effects." > > Potential side effects include confusion, skin > irritation or feeling sick > > or > > faint. > > Elizabeth said: "I don't want people to think > Michael has been cured > > because > > he hasn't. He still has Parkinson's disease. This > is just a way of > > managing > > it. > > "Every morning, he can hardly move at all until I > give him the drug. Once > > I > > have put it into the pump, it takes half an hour > to an hour for it to kick > > in, and then he is much better for the rest of the > day. > > "At night, he can lie in bed hardly able to move > at all." > > But Michael is delighted at the improvement. > Before he received the > > treatment, people often thought he was drunk when > he fell down in the > > street. > > One day, when he was out with his four-year-old > granddaughter, Michael was > > shocked to be accused of being drunk. > > He said: "One guy said to me: 'That is ridiculous. > You in charge of a > > little > > girl when you are drunk'. > > "I replied: 'You're wrong. I suffer from > Parkinson's'. It is amazing how > > many people can be cruel and think that you are > drunk." > > Elizabeth struggled to look after Michael as his > symptoms became worse. > > She > > said: "Since he started on the pump, I have > noticed a great difference in > > Michael. > > "The nurses wish they had taken a video of Michael > before he got this pump > > to compare it to how he is now. I hope other > people will get to know about > > this drug and it can help them too." > > Although he will never be cured, the drug has > given Michael a new lease of > > life. > > "Now I am able to go back to the gym to train, but > I am only allowed to go > > with a carer," he said. "They won't let me go back > in on my own. > > "When I get the pump put in each the morning it > takes 30 minutes to an > > hour > > for it to work. After that, I don't even notice it > for the rest of the > > day. > > Now I don't fall down in the street anymore." > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > > mailto:[log in to unmask] > > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > > mailto:[log in to unmask] > > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! 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