title: New and emerging medical therapies in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most challenging neurodegenerative disorders to treat as it manifests with a large variety of troublesome, and often disabling, motor and non-motor symptoms. Despite limitations, such as motor and other complications, levodopa remains the most effective drug in the treatment of PD.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this review, we focus on phase 2 and 3 studies describing new and emerging medical therapies in PD. We discuss new formulations of levodopa, medications that prolong levodopa response and ameliorate levodopa-induced dyskinesias, and innovative delivery methods that are currently being evaluated in clinical trials or are in development with the promise of better efficacy and tolerability. We also describe novel non-dopaminergic drugs that have been identified for treatment of motor and non-motor symptoms. A specific section is designated for potential disease modifying therapies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alternative formulations of levodopa appear to be promising especially to help with the motor fluctuations either by providing sustained benefits with controlled released formulations or ameliorate sudden OFF by formulations such as inhaled levodopa. Several different medications affecting non-dopaminergic pathways are being evaluated which may aide levodopa. As the understanding of the disease grows further, numerous novel neuroprotective or disease modifying therapies have been suggested. This along with development of medications to treat various non-motor symptoms will help improve quality of life of patients with PD.
authors.affiliation: a Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Mitesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lotia
authors.affiliation: a Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jankovic
mesh_terms: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002230:Carbidopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D007980:Levodopa; D002230:Carbidopa
keywords: Emerging therapies; Parkinson; amantadine; disease modifying therapies; levodopa; levodopa induced dyskinesia; neuroprotection; nondopaminergic drug; α-synuclein