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>>> W.S. <[log in to unmask]> 05/28/97
11:26am >>>
Has anyone heard or know anything about a new drug to
come out this year TOLCAPONE  brand name (TASMAR) it
is a dopamine agonist I read about in prevention mag. ?
WHITIE

Hi Whitie:

TOLCAPONE is a Cathechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT)
inhibitor which prolongs the action of levodopa medicine in
the brain by inhibiting the action of the enzyme COMT  in the
brain, which metabolizes dopamine.

It is manufactured by Hoffman-LaRoche Labs under the brand
name Tasmar# and is currently under clinical trials.  Side
effects are reported as mild headache, nausea, loose stool,
and some transient dyskinesia.  The drug acts to maintain
the blood levels of levodopa for  a longer period which should
allow better control of symptoms with lower dosages of
medication.