A recent study finds that the addition of rasagiline (marketed as Azilect) to the treatment regimen of individuals with Parkinson’s disease significantly enhances clinical outcomes.
The study was published on Oct. 6 in BMC Neurology.
To combat the loss of the brain signaling chemical dopamine that characterizes Parkinson’s disease, patients are treated with levodopa. Doctors usually combine with other molecules to stop levodopa from breaking down. In the US, carbidopa is used, though benserazide is used outside of the US.
Other add-on therapies are used to combat motor fluctuations or times when motor symptoms get worse. Rasagiline stops an enzyme from degrading dopamine so levodopa can work longer.
Scientists evaluated adding rasagiline to a treatment regimen of levodopa/benserazide in people over 60 with middle to late-stage Parkinson’s patients at a hospital in China. They assessed 64 patients on levodopa/benserazide — 32 of which took rasagiline as well.
After a year of treatment, the group taking levodopa, benserazide and rasagiline had higher clinical efficacy than the group only on levodopa and benserazide. People saw more improvements in motor function and muscle tone when adding rasagiline.
Taking rasagiline was linked with greater reductions in homocysteine (Hcy), a biomarker that’s associated with disease progression. High levels of Hcy are linked to cognitive and motor impairments including involuntary movements. People who took rasagiline also had increases in insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), a neuroprotective molecule vital for nerve cell survival and brain health. Low levels of IGF-1 are linked to disease progression and cognitive decline.
The study shows that “relative to levodopa therapy alone, the addition of [Azilect] … is more effective in improving the motor function of patients with Parkinson’s disease,” the authors said. They plan to study it more in a larger population.
Overall, adding rasagiline to levodopa and benserazide hydrochloride in people with middle- or late-stage Parkinson’s disease can lower Hcy levels, increase IGF-1 levels, boost motor function, and have other positive therapeutic effects, the authors said.
