Rasagiline improves symptoms of Japanese patients with early Parkinson´s disease

This study investigated the effectiveness of rasagiline (Azilect) in the treatment of Japanese patients with early Parkinson´s disease (PD). Researchers suggested that rasagiline improved the treatment outcomes of these patients.

PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. It affects more than 1% of people aged over 60. PD affects certain brain cells causing symptoms such as tremors, muscle rigidity, and loss of balance. There is no cure for PD and current treatments help lower the symptoms. Levodopa is the standard treatment for these patients. However, it is associated with a high rate of negative side effects.

Rasagiline is another treatment for PD recommended alone or along levodopa treatment. Prior studies showed an improvement in PD treatment of patients treated with rasagiline alone for 26 weeks. However, the effectiveness of rasagiline in Japanese patients with early PD remains under investigation.

244 Japanese patients were randomly assigned to receive rasagiline (group1; 1mg/day) or placebo (group 2; a drug with no effect on the body) for up to 26 weeks. 

Patients from group 1 had a 6.39 point improvement in symptoms in PD patients when compared to placebo. The overall side effects rate was 62.4% for group 1 and 52.4% for group 2. The most common side effect was upper respiratory infection (15.4% in group 1 and 15.1% in group 2).

This study determined that rasagiline was effective in improving symptoms of early PD in Japanese patients, with manageable side effects.

This study was funded by Takeda, the producer of rasagiline in Japan.

Talk to your doctor about treatment with rasagiline.