Teva highlights data supporting safety of Azilect

Teva has highlighted newly-published data which supports the safety of its Parkinson’s disease treatment Azilect.

Results from a new study which appeared in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology OnlineFirst indicate that the tablet-based treatment is selective in its inhibition of monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) when taken in the recommended dosage.

This finding is significant due to the fact that non-selective MAO inhibitors can interfere with the body’s ability to break down and eliminate the amino acid tyramine, leading to hypertensive reactions.

The announcement was welcomed by Dr Daniel Kremens, assistant professor of neurology and co-director of the Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders division at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia

He said: “With the confirmation of Azilect as a selective MAO-B inhibitor and the change in the official prescribing information about dietary tyramine, a potential treatment barrier has been removed.”

The drug functions by preventing the breakdown of dopamine in the brain, allowing Parkinson’s sufferers to move more freely and perform everyday tasks.