Living with Parkinson’s
Living with Parkinson’s
CONSIDERING
NEW PARKINSON’S
MEDICATIONS
Photo by Chad Batka
Dr.
Dolhun
Talks PD
Thinking
about New
Therapies
Rachel Dolhun, MD, is
a movement disorder
specialist, board-certified
neurologist and vice
president of medical
communications at MJFF.
Simply because a new therapy
is approved doesn’t mean
that it’s right for everyone, or
that you have to change your
regimen. If your symptoms are
well-controlled and you aren’t
experiencing bothersome side
effects, it’s unlikely you and your
doctor will want to switch your
medications. If, on the other hand,
your symptoms are not adequately
controlled, or your medications
cause significant adverse effects
or are otherwise less than ideal
(they require frequent daily
dosing, for example), it may be
worth contemplating an
alternate therapy.
Many medications are currently
available for the management
of Parkinson’s symptoms. As
symptoms progress and/or
additional symptoms develop,
treatment regimens require
adjustment: dosages, scheduling
and/or formulations (pill vs.
In 2015, two novel levodopa
formulations — Duopa and
Rytary — gained U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA)
approval. In early 2016, Nuplazid
(pimavanserin) became the
first drug approved to treat
Parkinson’s disease psychosis.
Today’s Parkinson’s
development pipeline is
bursting at the seams with
potential new treatments,
and several more drugs — for
sudden “off ” periods (when
symptoms unexpectedly return)
and dyskinesia (uncontrolled
involuntary movements) — are
anticipated to cross the finish line
to patients within the next one
to two years. This is great news
— speeding new drugs to treat
more of Parkinson’s disease is the
mission of The Michael J. Fox
Foundation. So we rejoice at the
progress and hope represented
by every approval, and the
wider variety of options to help
patients manage their disease.
We recognize, however, that the
advent of new drugs also raises
questions about whether and
how to integrate them into a
Parkinson’s treatment regimen.
ASKING THE RIGHT
QUESTIONS ABOUT NEW
THERAPIES
When thinking about a new
symptomatic therapy, key
(continued on page 12)
ASK THE MD: MORE ABOUT
THE MEDICATIONS YOU TAKE
Ever wonder how prescription drugs reach pharmacy
shelves? Or why the labels list certain information? Here,
we define common terms associated with medications.
FDA-APPROVED
Over the past 18 months, three new therapies
for Parkinson’s disease (PD) completed the long
development journey and took their rightful place “on
pharmacy shelves,” where they can help people with PD.
patch vs. infusion; immediate vs.
extended-release preparations)
are changed, and drugs are added
or discontinued. Everyone’s
medication should be tailored
to address his or her symptoms.
T