GSK's Requip cuts off time in PD patients

UK drug major GlaxoSmithKline says that adding its once-daily, investigational drug Requip (ropinirole HCl) XL 24-Hour extended-release tablets to Parkinson disease patients' existing levodopa therapy significantly reduced off time, where L-dopa wears off and symptoms return, allowing them to continue their daily activities for a longer period. Results from the EASE-PD Adjunct Study, which were published in the April 3 issue of Neurology, show that Requip XL 24-Hour significantly reduced off time by an average of more than two hours per day when compared to baseline prior to treatment.

In the multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled EASE- PD Adjunct Study, Requip XL 24-Hour was shown to be effective in treating both motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease as an addition to L-dopa. GSK sponsored this study as part of the clinical development program for this extended-release formulation. Requip XL 24-Hour is its proposed brand name and utilizes UK drug-delivery firm SkyePharma's proprietary GeoMatrix technology.