Management of intermittent OFF episodes remains an unmet need, despite adjustments to oral baseline therapy
Management of intermittent OFF episodes remains an unmet need, despite adjustments to oral baseline therapy
Even with optimized baseline therapy, day-to-day variability in oral LD release in the gut leads to motor fluctuations, suggesting a need for an on-demand treatment option in addition to baseline medication5
Slowed absorption of levodopa is due to several potential factors,3 including:
Slowed absorption of levodopa is due to several potential factors,3 including:
Gastroparesis
from PD4
High-protein
meals12
Small intestine bacterial
overgrowth (SIBO)2
Used with permission of Elsevier Ltd, from Gastrointestinal dysfunction in Parkinson's disease, Fasano A et al, 14(6), 2015; permission conveyed through Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.
Photograph taken during gastroscopy. Image quality reflects the resolution of the endoscopic camera used.
AADC, aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase; BBB, blood-brain barrier; CNS, central nervous system; COMT, catechol-O-methyltransferase; GI, gastrointestinal; LD, levodopa.
