Teva Pharmaceuticals announced FDA approval today of its new drug, rasagline. It is approved as treatment for Parkinson's disease both as initial monotherapy in early Parkinson's disease patients, and as adjunct therapy to levodopa in moderate-to-advanced stages of the disease. It will be marketed under the brand name AZILECT® in the United States, and Teva committed that AZILECT® will be available within eight to 10 weeks. This is a bold undertaking considering many pharmaceuticals take four or more months to get through the complex production and distribution process.
Adding another MAO-B inhibitor to the medication arsenal is great news for the Parkinson's community. Some research indicates that AZILECT® may be able to slow down the progress of Parkinson’s disease. Israel Makov, President and CEO of Teva touts this possible benefit: "We have recently embarked on a large clinical study (ADAGIO), to investigate the impact of AZILECT® on slowing the progression of Parkinson's disease. If it is demonstrated that AZILECT® does indeed slow the progression of PD, this will undoubtedly represent a major breakthrough for Parkinson's disease patients."
Now that it is approved, people who use AZILECT® will be able to help prove that theory.
AZILECT® may be a good option for you. Your physician will know if its clinical benefits match your symptoms and needs. Some of our past blogs about rasagiline (which we will now refer to as AZILECT®) include:
Could Rasagiline be the First Drug to Delay the Progression of PD?
