Parkinson's Disease - Highlights

New Drug Approvals

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the following:

Drug Research

Dopamine Agonists. A rotigotine transdermal patch (Neupro) is showing promise in late-stage (Phase III) trials. Piribedil (Trivastal) is also progressing in clinical trials.
Monoamine Oxidase B (MAO-B) Inhibitors. Rasagiline (Agilect) has demonstrated effectiveness as a single-drug treatment for early-stage Parkinson?s disease. Recent research indicates that when used in combination with levodopa, rasagiline may also be useful for treating advanced Parkinson?s. Another MAO-B inhibitor, safinamide, improved motor function in a trial of patients with moderately severe Parkinson?s disease.
Cholinesterase Inhibitors. The Alzheimer?s drug rivastigmine (Exelon) is being investigated for treatment of dementia in Parkinson?s patients. Initial results show moderate improvement but side effects include nausea, vomiting, and tremors.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Regular use of ibuprofen may reduce the risk of Parkinson?s disease according to research presented at the 2005 annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. Other NSAIDs did not appear to affect disease risk.

Genetic Research

Mutations in the LRRK2 gene, located in the PARK8 region of chromosome 12, may be involved in inherited forms of Parkinson?s disease. Several new studies have extensively researched the link between Parkinson?s and LRRK2. One study suggested that a single gene mutation in LRRK2 may be responsible for 5% of inherited Parkinson?s cases and approximately 2% of isolated cases. A second study definitively associated an LRRK2 gene mutation with late-onset Parkinson?s disease in North American and European families.

Lifestyle Research

Milk consumption in midlife may increase the risk of Parkinson?s disease in men.
Exercise early in adult life may help to protect men against development of Parkinson?s disease.