title: Direct switch from levodopa/benserazide or levodopa/carbidopa to levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone in Parkinson's disease patients with wearing-off: efficacy, safety and feasibility--an open-label, 6-week study.
abstract: The study objective was to assess the efficacy, safety and feasibility of switching from levodopa/benserazide (LB) or levodopa/carbidopa (LC) to levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone (LCE) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with wearing-off. This was a multicenter, open-label, 6-week study; the primary outcome was success rate based on the patient-assessed Clinical Global Impression of Change (P-CGI-C). Secondary outcomes included investigator-assessed CGI-C (I-CGI-C), change from baseline in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), motor/non-motor wearing-off symptoms and quality of life-visual analog scale (QoL-VAS). After switching to LCE, 77% of patients reported an 'improvement' (p < 0.0001 vs. patients reporting 'no change or worsening'). Significant improvements were seen in I-CGI-C, UPDRS and QoL-VAS, regardless of prior therapy. Oral levodopa dosing was increased in 28% of patients; the primary outcome remained significant when these patients were excluded. The data suggest that switching from LB/LC to LCE provided a significant benefit in PD patients with wearing-off.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany. eggert@med.uni-marburg.de
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eggert
authors.forename: Orjan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Skogar
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amar
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luotonen
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuoppamäki
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leinonen
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nissinen
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Oertel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001545:Benserazide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002230:Carbidopa / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002396:Catechols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D020820:Dyskinesias / Q000188:drug therapy; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009570:Nitriles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D002396:Catechols; D009570:Nitriles; D007980:Levodopa; C071192:entacapone; D001545:Benserazide; D002230:Carbidopa