AbbVie’s Produodopa (foslevodopa-foscarbidopa) has been accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for use within NHS Scotland to treat advanced levodopa-responsive Parkinson’s disease (PD).
PD patients with severe motor fluctuations and hyperkinesia or dyskinesia when previous available combinations of PD medicinal products have not provided satisfactory results and who are not eligible for deep brain stimulation will be eligible for the treatment.
Affecting around 12,400 people in Scotland, PD is a progressive neurological disorder that results from the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells and is characterised by tremor, muscle rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with balance.
Patients with advanced PD are marked by more severe and complex symptoms, including severe motor deficits, a risk of falling and cognitive problems.
The SMC’s decision is supported by data from two phase 3 clinical trials, M15-741 and M15-736, which demonstrated that Produodopa reduced ‘off’ time and increased ‘on’ time in PD patients without dyskinesia compared to oral immediate release levodopa/carbidopa and evaluated safety and tolerability.
Rachael Millward, medical director, AbbVie UK, said: “The SMC’s decision to make this treatment available on the NHS in Scotland means that eligible patients across the UK will now be able to access this treatment option.”
James Jopling, Scotland director, Parkinson’s UK, commented: “Produodopa is an important advance because it can be used safely in people who aren’t suitable candidates for brain or abdominal surgery” and could benefit “more people… from better symptom control and improved quality of life”.
Developed to provide another therapeutic option for eligible patients with advanced levodopa-responsive PD, Produodopa is a new and soluble formulation of levodopa/carbidopa prodrugs that can be self-administered by continuous subcutaneous infusion via a pump 24 hours a day and could provide an alternative therapeutic treatment option for patients with advanced levodopa-responsive PD.
In February, NHS England announced that the treatment was to be rolled out for patients living with advanced PD, who are experiencing movement-related symptoms and whose condition is not responding to oral medicines.
