PARKINSON'S CONGRESS: ReQuip More Effective Against Dyskinesia Than L-dopa
VANCOUVER, BC -- July 26, 1999 -- A landmark, multinational, five-year study
shows that SmithKline Beecham’s dopamine agonist ReQuip® (ropinirole
hydrochloride) is associated with a much lower incidence of dyskinesias than
L-dopa and has comparable efficacy to L-dopa in the management of early
Parkinson's Disease.
The results of this study were released today at the XIII International
Congress on Parkinson’s Disease taking place from July 24-28, 1999 in
Vancouver.
“This landmark study should affect the future management of Parkinson's
Disease. The data demonstrate that ropinirole is a first-line option for the
initial treatment of early Parkinson's Disease,” said the study’s lead
author, Olivier Rascol, professor of pharmacology at the Centre Hospitalier
Universitaire, Toulouse, France.
“This is important news for patients, as we can now hope for good control of
their symptoms with less risk of dyskinesias,” added Dr. Donald Calne,
chairman of the ICPD, and director of the Neurodegenerative Disorders
Centre, University of British Columbia.
The 268 patients participating in this double-blind controlled study,
conducted in Europe, Israel and Canada, were randomized to receive either
ReQuip or L-dopa - the current standard therapy. Both treatment groups were
allowed to receive supplementary L-dopa if required.
The study demonstrated that the probability (odds ratio) of developing
dyskinesias was 3.8 times higher for patients receiving L-dopa (incidence 46
percent) than for patients receiving ReQuip, either alone or with additional
L-dopa (incidence 20 percent). In patients who completed the trial on ReQuip
alone, the benefit was found to be even greater, with the relative
probability of dyskinesias 15.2 times higher in the L-dopa
group (incidence 36 percent) than the ReQuip group (incidence five percent).
Over the five-year study period, both groups of patients experienced similar
control of their symptoms. A third of those in the group randomized to
receive ReQuip completed the five-year study without the need for L-dopa,
achieving satisfactory control with ReQuip alone.
Patients in the group receiving ReQuip supplemented with additional L-dopa,
required a much lower dose of L-dopa to control disease symptoms, compared
to those treated with L-dopa alone (427 mg/day versus 753 mg/day). The mean
daily dose of ReQuip in patients completing all five years of the study was
16.5 mg3, highlighting the importance of continued dose titration over time
for optimal therapeutic benefit. The maximum recommended daily dose of
ReQuip is 24 mg.
Apart from differing significantly in terms of dyskinesias, both ReQuip and
L-dopa were tolerated equally well during the study. Overall, an equal
proportion of patients withdrew from both treatment groups. CNS adverse
experiences were reported by 23 percent of patients given ReQuip and by 16
percent of those who received L-dopa. This difference was not statistically
significant.
ReQuip stimulates dopamine receptors, whereas L-dopa (levodopa) is a
chemical precursor of the neurotransmitter dopamine found to be lacking in
certain parts of the brain in patients with Parkinson’s Disease. ReQuip,
unlike L-dopa, does not require conversion to dopamine and is immediately
available to act on dopamine receptors.
Dyskinesias are involuntary movements such as twitching or jerking that are
a common and debilitating side effect of therapy with L-dopa.
Related Links: SmithKline Beecham
All contents Copyright (c) 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc.
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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