According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, chorea is defined as involuntary movements that are caused by a neurological disorder. It is one of a group of dyskinesias and is affected by overactivity of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the section of the brain that controls movement.
Chorea is a chief characteristic of Huntington’s disease (HD), occurring in approximately ninety percent of HD patients. HD itself is a rare, fatal, hereditary movement disorder. HD affects 35,000 individuals in the U.S.
An Overview
Teva Pharmaceuticals, Parsippany, New Jersey, and Tel Aviv, Israel, recently announced the results of the Alternatives for Reducing Chorea in a Huntington’s Disease study (ARC-HD).
The study, a three-year tolerability and safety study of AUSTEDO® tablets, was announced recently in a Business Wire press release. Teva Pharmaceuticals partnered with the Huntington Study Group to conduct the trial.
During the entire period of the study, AUSTEDO (deutetrabenazine) kept chorea under control in accordance with the Unified HD Rating Scale.
About the Study
The new study involved 119 patients. Eighty-two participants had taken part in a prior HD trial together with thirty-seven patients who had switched from the drug tetrabenazine to AUSTEDO. The drug’s adjusted dosage averaged 45.7 mg.
AUSTEDO, which depletes dopamine, is the only vesicular monoamine transporter 2 inhibitor (VMAT2) approved by the FDA to treat adults with chorea related to HD and tardive dyskinesia (repetitive movements).
About Safety Results
Common adverse events confirmed in the study included depression, insomnia, falls, anxiety, sleeping disorders, and agitation. Chorea control was maintained for three years. Researchers did not observe any additional safety concerns.
