Valeant launches new Parkinson’s treatment in US

Zelapar is the first Parkinson’s disease treatment to use a novel oral delivery system called Zydis technology, which allows the tablets to dissolve within seconds in the mouth and deliver more active drug at a lower dose. The company said that Zelapar will be available in US pharmacies from July 19th.

“We’re excited to launch Zelapar in the US market and provide a safe and effective alternative treatment option to healthcare professionals and their patients. Zelapar has been shown to reduce daily ‘off’ time by 2.2 hours on average, providing an important benefit for patients living with the disease,” said Valeant president and CEO, Timothy Tyson.

Zelapar is a selective monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAO-B), which was approved by the FDA on June 14th 2006 as a once-daily adjunct therapy for Parkinson’s disease patients being treated with levodopa/carbidopa. The Zydis formulation allows Zelapar to significantly bypass the gut and is primarily absorbed into plasma through the oral mucosa, thereby potentially enhancing the therapeutic effect and reducing side effects.