A once-daily pill PD medication
- Stephanie Soto
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
There are so many new medications being researched and developed for PD. Two recent studies looked at the effectiveness of tavapadon, a new medication that is not yet approved for consumers. It's results were very promising. Let's dive in.
Tavapadon was developed by AbbVie. Tavapadon is a once-daily pill that is expected to help people maximize their motor symptoms without seeing the adverse effects of dopaminergic medications (levodopa). So far, there have been two trials that have been completed around the new medication. Both trials were multi-centered, meaning multiple different clinics participated in the trial. This helps reduce selection bias and gives more credibility to the results.
The first trial focused on people who were newly diagnosed with PD and did not have any medications. The thought was that Tavapadon would help delay the use of levodopa. 224 people were included in this study over 4 years. There was a control group, which took a placebo pill. The Tavapadon group showed a significant improvements in motor function compared to the placebo group. Nausea, headache, and dizziness were the most common side effects, although rare.
The second trial looked at people with more advanced PD. Over 400 people participated in this study, which also included a placebo group. In order to participate, you must experience at least 2 hours of "off" time. The tavapadon group experienced an increase of 1 hour of "on" time more than the placebo group. The tavapadon group showed a reduction of .9 hours of "off" time compared to the placebo. This means, more "on" time with less "off" time! The most common side effects were nausea, dyskinesia, and dizziness.
Each trial lasted for 27 weeks. Currently, there is another trial underway which will task for 58 weeks.
So far the results are extremely promising. I am sure all of you would love to only take 1 pill a day, instead of having to take multiple pills a day, time your medications with your meals, or worry about being consistent with your schedule. The last trial is expected to end in early 2026, so this medication could hit the market relatively soon after the trial is over.
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