GSK drug soothes restless legs syndrome

The results, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, are the result of the largest US study to date of the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS). Requip is the only FDA-approved treatment for moderate-to-severe primary RLS.

RLS is a chronic and disruptive neurological condition that encompasses a range of severity that includes mild, moderate and severe symptoms, and affects approximately one in ten adults in the US.

Requip directly activates dopamine receptors in the brain. Although its exact cause is unknown, researchers believe that the underlying cause of RLS may be related to dopamine, a chemical that carries the signals between nerve cells that control body movement. When the dopamine system does not function properly, it may upset the normal communication of these signals.

“The consistency of positive data across several key clinical trials, including these latest results from the largest study of the treatment of RLS, further supports Requip as an effective treatment for relieving the uncomfortable symptoms of RLS,” said Dr Richard Bogan, assistant clinical professor of medicine at the USC School of Medicine in Columbia, South Carolina.