Inhaled Levodopa Cuts Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's

Inhaled levodopa (CVT-301) passed a phase III test, significantly improving motor function during Parkinson's "off" periods compared with placebo, researchers reported here. At 12 weeks, change in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part III scores 30 minutes post-dose was significantly greater among those given 84 mg of CVT-301 compared with placebo (-9.83 versus -5.91, P=0.009), Peter LeWitt, MD, of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and colleagues reported during a late-breaking poster session at the Movement Disorder Society meeting here. The drug also produced better results than placebo at helping patients achieve an "on" state by 60 minutes -- although a pre-specified 12-point hierarchical analysis became non-significant at the third item of change in UPDRS Part III scores at 20 minutes, leaving the subsequent steps technically ineligible for statistical significance. Nonetheless, investigators were encouraged by the results, and a new drug application will be filed with the FDA by the end of the month, according to co-author Charles Oh, MD, a vice president of clinical development at drugmaker Acorda Therapeutics. https://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/MDS/65882?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-09&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0