For people living with Parkinson’s disease, the current drug used to treat it is effective, but also short-lived. Symptoms like tremors or changes in gait return and can affect a person’s quality of life. Now a new version of the drug is out.
Dr. Sara Dhanani is with Banner Sun Health Research Institute. She says the oral drug Levodopa has been used for decades to treat Parkinson’s, but it doesn’t stay long in the body. Now a new version is available.
"So what is really important about this particular drug is that it is a continuous delivery of levodopa into the subcutaneous tissue. And what that means is that it is a tissue right underneath the skin," she said.
And because it's a continuous delivery, patients are able to have what she calls constant "on-time."
"That means they're able to do their activities of daily living. But when they're having ‘off time’ and the medicines are not working, that slowness of movement, the stiffness, changes in walking, tremor, all flare up."
Parkinson's disease is a condition in which the dopamine-producing cells in the brain degenerate.
"So the more efficient medication is, the lesser the symptoms are going to be. And that is what is very exciting about this drug, is it provides a constant delivery of levodopa," she said.
Dhanani says most people develop symptoms in their 60s but there are those who develop early-onset Parkinson’s in their 30s.
