title: Spotlight on rotigotine in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: A transdermal patch formulation of the non-ergolinic dopamine receptor agonist rotigotine (Neupro) is indicated for use as monotherapy in the treatment of early-stage Parkinson's disease or, in the EU, as an adjunct to levodopa across all disease stages. Transdermal rotigotine is an effective and generally well tolerated addition to the armamentarium for the control of Parkinson's disease, with the once-daily transdermal patch system offering several practical advantages and the possible benefits of avoiding pulsatile dopaminergic stimulation. Transdermal rotigotine was superior to placebo in patients with early-stage and advanced Parkinson's disease, although noninferiority to the oral dopamine receptor agonists ropinirole or pramipexole was not consistently demonstrated. Additional active comparator trials would be of interest. In the meantime, transdermal rotigotine offers a convenient new treatment option for patients with Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Wolters Kluwer Health | Adis, Auckland, New Zealand, an editorial office of Wolters Kluwer Health, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, USA. demail@adis.co.nz
authors.forename: Claudine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: Gillian M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Keating
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes; D013876:Thiophenes; D007980:Levodopa; C047508:rotigotine