title: Pramipexole: a nonergot dopamine agonist as drug therapy in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Pramipexole is a dopamine agonist that was recently introduced for the treatment of both early and advanced Parkinson's disease. Pramipexole is a synthetic aminobenzothiazole compound with a high affinity to D(3) receptors. It directly stimulates dopamine receptors without requiring metabolic conversion. Pramipexole is rapidly absorbed with bioavailability greater than 90% and is actively secreted by the renal tubules. The drug's plasma half-life is 8-12 h. Shown to be safe and effective as add-on therapy, pramipexole can also be used as initial dopaminergic therapy in Parkinson's disease, delaying the introduction of levodopa thereby postponing levodopa's side-effects.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, Parkinson's Center, 1581 Dodd Drive, Suite 371, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hubble
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Novak