MAO inhibitors keep dopamine active in your body for a longer period of time by slowing down the rate at which the dopamine erodes. For people with Parkinson's disease there are two choices of MAO inhibitors, rasagiline and selegiline. Rasagiline is an extended release tablet that is marketed as Azilect. Selegiline has two different brand names, Eldepryl and Zelapar. Eldepryl has been in use for many years. Zelapar was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug administration. It is a time-release version of selegiline.
The competition between these two drugs is certainly fierce. We suspect that this rivalry prompted Zelapar's marketer, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, to offer the zelaCARD, a rebate card provided to patients. Valeant asserts that it can offer significant savings to patients regardless of their prescription drug benefit coverage. The rebate can be as high as $40 per month for some patients.
In a different story released late last week, ABC News reports on the story of Toby Govea back in 1981. His experience with some irregular heroin opened a window of opportunity for Parkinson's disease research. It is a tragic story that ironically sped up Parkinson's disease research.