According to a June 29th report by Business Wire, ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. received a new FDA approval for a form of Parkinson’s treatment. The approval specifically allows ACADIA to produce a higher strength version of NUPLAZID (pimavanserin). Keep reading to learn more or follow the original report here for additional details.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the nervous system that primarily affects movement. Symptoms may begin in ways which are barely perceptible, such as a slight tremor in the hand. Other early symptoms may include stiffness or sluggish movement.
As the condition progressively worsens, facial expressions may become less distinct, and speech may become soft or slurred. Automatic movements such as the swinging of arms while walking may become difficult or absent.
Other complications caused by or related to Parkinson’s disease may include difficulties thinking, and forms of dementia in some cases, depression, problems swallowing, and sleep disorders. While the cause of Parkinson’s disease remains unknown and no cure currently exists, there are a number of treatments which may slow the progression of symptoms.
Click here to learn more about Parkinson’s disease.
FDA Approval
NUPLAZID already exists as a treatment for psychological symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, NUPLAZID aims to help with the hallucinations and delusions which may accompany Parkinson’s disease in some people.
The standard dose for NUPLAZID before the new approval was the 17mg tablet. This meant that patients had to take two tablets throughout the day to meet the recommended 34mg dosage. With the new approval ACADIA has gained, they will be able to produce a 34mg capsule. This reduces the burden on patients to remember and organize medications by placing the entire daily dose in a single easy to use package.
The FDA also approved ACADIA to produce a lower power version of NUPLAZID. As a result, ACADIA will produce a 10mg tablet of the Parkinson’s disease drug alongside the new 34mg capsule. This lower dosage will be optimized, reports claim, for patients taking other forms of treatment which may inhibit the metabolic process from interacting with NUPLAZID.
The new tablets and capsules are schedule to be available sometime in mid-August.
