GlaxoSmithKline’s Requip reduces “off time” in Parkinson’s disease

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the UK’s largest drugs manufacturer, has said that its treatment for Parkinson’s disease, Requip, can reduce the amount of “off time” ? the period of time when symptoms return when the drug wears off ? by more than two hours a day.

A new 24-week study showed that patients who took the new 24-hour formulation of Requip in conjunction with a standard levadopa (L-dopa) dose “significantly” reduced their off time periods while awake by an average of 2.1 hours a day. The placebo, by comparison, reduced the amount of off time by 0.4 hours.

Additionally, the withdraw rate for the new Requip 24-hour formulation, which was produced in a collaboration with SkyePharma, was low and comparable to the placebo.

Rajesh Pahwa, MD, professor of neurology and director of the Parkinson’s disease and movement disorder centre at the University of Kansas Medical Centre, stated: “We are excited about the results of this study, which showed that patients benefited from an average reduction of 2.1 hours in awake time spent ‘off’.”

“In other words, many patients were able to manage their Parkinson’s disease symptoms for a longer period of time when adding Requip 24-hour extended-release to their treatment regimen,” he added.

Requip is approved in the UK for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. It was originally developed by SmithKline Beecham and has the generic name of ropinirole. The drug is manufactured at GSK’s facility in Manor Royal, Crawley.

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