Sensidose AB articles

This review will illustrate the process of moving from an idea through preclinical research and Galenic developments into clinical investigations and finally to approval by regulatory agencies within the European Union. The two new treatment strategies described, levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel and levodopa/carbidopa microtablets, for advanced Parkinson`s disease, have been developed in collaborative research within departments at Uppsala University.

During its almost half-century of use for treating Parkinson`s disease, levodopa therapy has permitted most patients to reverse much of this disorder`s symptomatology. However, the full range of its therapeutic properties is not completely understood, as levodopa is showing itself to be more than just a metabolic intermediate for dopamine synthesis. Improving the constancy of drug delivery is the next frontier for enhancing therapeutic options with lev

This review describes the different drug delivery systems containing levodopa that are used in the treatment of Parkinson`s disease. Their composition, process of preparation, advantages, disadvantages and limitations are discussed as well as the major objective in the management of Parkinson`s disease according to the pathology of the disease.

Levodopa serves as the gold standard of anti-parkinsonian therapy and nearly every patient with Parkinson`s disease eventually receives this drug. To improve upon levodopa therapy, several forms of treatment have been devised to augment its actions, and new delivery systems are under development. This new research offers promise for improving outcomes with this highly effective therapy.

Physicians modify drug schedules in response to their patients` clinical responses. Failure to relieve patients` symptoms or the emergence of drug-related side effects may reflect nonadherence to a prescribed drug schedule rather than incorrect therapeutic physician decisions. Using a medication questionnaire and a computerized medication event monitoring system (MEMS) to monitor medication use, nonadherence of drug use was examined in subjects with Pa

A new concept for individualising the dosage of drugs in solid form is presented. The principle is based on the use of standardised units (microtablets), each containing a subtherapeutic amount of the active ingredient. The required dose is fine-tuned by counting out a specific number of these units. The microtablets are counted electronically from the attached cassette by the automatic dispensing device. The individual dose is set and the dispenser co

Although patients with Parkinson`s disease usually respond to dopaminergic therapy with a smooth, continued effect when medication is first initiated, many patients eventually develop a fluctuating response along with involuntary movements (dyskinesias). The fluctuations in motor response often result in patients requiring more frequent dosing of medication that is less convenient, and they begin to lose control of their daily life. Their ability to wo

Advances in the understanding of basal ganglia circuitry and its altered function in disease states such as Parkinson`s disease (PD), coupled with new insights into the mechanisms of cell death and new findings from therapeutic clinical trials, are being translated into clinical practice. Although levodopa (L-Dopa) remains the most effective drug in the symptomatic treatment of PD, the emergence of side effects, particularly motor fluctuations and dysk