An experimental drug that combines fixed doses of extended-release (ER) formulations of existing medications can significantly reduce symptoms in patients with untreated early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD), new research suggests.
Results from a phase 3 trial of P2B001, a combination of pramipexole and rasagiline at currently unavailable low doses, showed the drug was more effective than its individual components and as effective as higher-dose pramipexole ER — with far less daytime sleepiness.
The combination drug is taken once a day and does not require titration, which investigators say make it a good option for first-line treatment of PD.
"I don't think people, including me, expected intuitively that if you used small doses and combined it with a little rasagiline it would be equal to full doses of pramipexole, but it appears that it is," lead investigator Warren Olanow, MD, professor and chair emeritus of neurology and professor emeritus of neuroscience at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, told Medscape Medical News.
The findings were presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2022 Annual Meeting.
"Synergistic Effects"
Levodopa is considered to be the most effective treatment for PD, but long-term use is associated with increased risk for motor complications, such as dyskinesia.
