Early-Stage Parkinson’s Disease (NAPSA)—Someof the approximately 1 million Americans with Parkinson’s disease (PD) have a new option for treating their condition. The FDA has approved Neupro (Rotigotine Transdermal System), a once-daily, continuous- delivery skin patch for the treat- te me . s my = , i ment of early-stage PD. PD is a chronic and progressive disorder of the central nervous system. Patients suffer from a lack of dopamine, a messenger substance in the brain responsible for coordinating movement, re- sulting in symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, slowness of move- ment, and loss of balance and coordination. One of the goals of Parkinson’s therapy is symptom control, which is typically achieved with medication. Neupro, the first dopamine agonist patch, works by mimick- ing the action of dopamine and produces similar effects to the dopamine naturally found in the brain. Once-daily administration of the patch delivers medication continuously over a 24-hour period. “Disabling Parkinson’s symp- toms can be well controlled with available medications, but may return as the effects of PD med- ications wear off,” commented C. Warren Olanow, M.D., Professor and Chair of Neurology, and Pro- fessor of Neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. “Neupro is the first transdermal or patch formu- lation available for the treatment of PD. It provides continuous drug delivery for 24 hours, throughout the day and night. As a new treatment option for early-stage Parkinson’s patients, the Neupro patch helps control symptoms with once-daily dosing.” Neupro offers early-stage Parkin- son’s patients a new treatment option. Studies have demonstrated that Neupro delivers continuous and stable levels of medication, resulting in improved control of Parkinsonian symptoms when compared to placebo. Neupro is available in three strengths (2 mg/24 hours; 4 mg/24 hours; and 6 mg/24 hours). Important Safety Information Neupro is indicated for the treatment of the signs and symp- toms of early-stage idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. The most commonly reported side effects in clini- cal trials were nausea, application site reactions, somnolence, dizziness, headache, vomiting, and insomnia. Some patients may experience sudden onset of sleep (sleep attacks) while engaged in routine activities such as driving or operating machinery or hallucinations. Neupro should be used with caution in patients, especially those at risk for heart disease, because of the potential for adverse events such as decreased blood pressure on standing up (postural hypotension). For additional information, speak to your doctor or visit www.neupro.com.
