Mirapexin improves RLS symptoms

German drugmaker Boehringer Ingleheim says that data from trials of Sifrol/Mirapexin (pramipexole) demonstrate that the product brought about significant improvement in the symptoms of restless leg syndrome, throughout both day and night. The findings were presented at the 20th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, held in Utah, USA, earlier this month.

The product, which is known as Sifrol and Mirapexin in Europe and Mirapex in the USA, was first approved for the treatment of idiopathic Parkinson's disease, both as a monotherapy and in combination with levodopa, in Europe in 1997 (Marketletters passim). Earlier this year, the drug was approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe RLS throughout the European Union.

The reported findings, which are derived from three clinical trials of the drug, showed that 42.5% of patients rated their RLS symptoms as "much" or "very much" improved after one week of treatment, in comparison with 14.1% of the placebo group. The firm added that treatment brought about a significant reduction in daytime tiredness, which is a common symptom of the condition.