U.S. News: New form of levodopa might improve Parkinson's care

Several national outlets, including U.S. News & World Report, highlighted new research from the University of Cincinnati's Alberto Espay.

Espay, MD, presented research at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting that found an extended-release formulation of a Parkinson's drug could lead to more time where patients' symptoms are well managed.

Three doses of the new drug, called IPX203, was found to work slightly better at providing better "on time," or time where the medication is working and symptoms are lessened, compared to five doses of the standard formulation.

 "If our brains aren’t making enough levodopa, then we have less of the dopamine that we need for movement and emotional regulation,” Espay told U.S. News. “Levodopa is to Parkinson’s what insulin is to diabetes. It’s actually replenishing something that the brain makes, but in these patients is making a little less than they need.

“This might well be used with five doses a day, and then this will be a marked improvement,” Espay continued. “Most patients really don't mind. What they're worried about is not how frequently they are taking it, but how much ‘off time’ they still may have. They don't want to have ‘off time’ regardless of how many times it takes for them to dose themselves.”

Read the U.S. News & World Report story, originally published on HealthDay.

Read additional coverage of the research on Neurology Live and MedicalResearch.com.

Read more about the research.

Espay also presented research on a subcutaneous delivery system for levodopa-carbidopa to treat Parkinson's at the conference.

Read the MedPage Today article on the research.

Read Neurology Live coverage of the research.

Featured photo at top of 3-D illustration of a dopamine molecule. Photo/Dr_Microbe/iStock.