Boehringer Ingelheim says restless legs syndrome drug shows benefits

Boehringer Ingelheim, the German pharmaceutical company, has revealed the results of new studies that support the effectiveness of Mirapexin (pramipexole), its drug for restless leg syndrome (RLS).

RLS is described as a neurological disorder where patients feel an uncontrollable urge to move their legs, accompanied by a feeling of discomfort or even pain. Because it can severely disrupt sleeping, it can cause excessive daytime tiredness, affecting patients’ jobs and social life.

The company said that Mirapexin demonstrated sustained improvements in quality of life after use for up to nine months, but patients who had withdrawn from the treatment after six months showed a “significant worsening” of the condition.

Another study revealed a reduction in daytime sleepiness, while a safety trial revealed that Mirapexin showed “favourable efficacy and tolerability”.

Dr John W Winkelman, medical director at the Sleep Health Centre, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, stated: “Research findings and clinical experience have shown that RLS is typically very responsive to treatment, particularly with dopaminergic agents.”

“In our study, it was noteworthy that patients’ RLS symptoms, as well as satisfaction with their sleep, were significantly improved when taking Mirapexin. Treatment options like Mirapexin offer hope to the millions of RLS sufferers worldwide,” he concluded.

RLS:UK, an organisation that promotes awareness of RLS, claims the disorder is common and may be under-diagnosed. Although data is not available in the UK, it says that at least 5.8 per cent of men in Sweden have RLS, suggesting that it could be the most common form of movement disorder in people of European origin.

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