title: Patient satisfaction with switching to Stalevo: an open-label evaluation in PD patients experiencing wearing-off (Simcom Study).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the ease with which 52 Parkinson's disease patients already receiving adjunct entacapone to traditional levodopa were switched to Stalevo (levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The switch to Stalevo was straightforward for most patients taking standard-release levodopa with 86% of these patients being able to replace their entire regimen without having to change the amount of levodopa taken. The majority of patients (54%, P = 0.162) preferred Stalevo; 31% preferred their prior treatment regimen; 15% had no preference. Patients found Stalevo more simple to dose (94%), more convenient to use (84%), easier to handle (84%), easier to remember (67%) and easier to swallow (59%), compared with their previous medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stalevo was well tolerated, with a low incidence of adverse events. The study shows that Stalevo is an effective, preferred and well-tolerated means of delivering levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone in one easy-to-use tablet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. vilho.myllyla@oulu.fi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Myllylä
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haapaniemi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaakkola
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kinnunen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hartikainen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nuutinen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rissanen
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kuopio
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jolma
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Satomaa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heikkinen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D065105:Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylase Inhibitors; D002230:Carbidopa / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002396:Catechols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009570:Nitriles; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D065105:Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylase Inhibitors; D002396:Catechols; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009570:Nitriles; C481098:Stalevo; D007980:Levodopa; C071192:entacapone; D002230:Carbidopa