Schwarz Pharma has come up with a new neupro skin patch which is offered the licence to be marketed in UK. It is said to offer relief to patients in the early stages of Parkinson's disease. It delivers a drug that mimics the effects of a naturally occurring brain chemical, which is in short supply in people with Parkinson's.
The Parkinson's Disease Society said that the patch would aid the patients to manage their symptoms more easily. Statistics show that about 8,000 to10,000 new cases of Parkinson's are diagnosed in the UK every year. About 95% of these cases are usually aged over 40 years.In Parkinson’s disease patients have a shortage of the brain chemical dopamine. This controls connections between nerve cells, leading to symptoms such as tremors. The main treatment included a drug which the patient consumes called the dopamine agonist. This acts directly on the dopamine receptors in the brain.
But now this latest technique contains a new dopamine agonist, called rotigotine, and delivers a continuous dose of the drug over 24 hours, so patients only having to change the patch once a day. Robert Meadowcroft, director of policy, campaigns and information at the Parkinson's Disease Society, said that his patch is very useful than the previous treatments and is also safe and effective in early stage of Parkinson's disease.
Dr Ray Chaudhuri, a consultant neurologist at University Hospital Lewisham, in south London, said that it is a new and simple way of delivering a dopamine agonist which helps to overcome the problems associated with oral administration.
