Objective The objective of this review was to update evidence-based medicine recommendations for treating motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Background The Movement Disorder Society Evidence-Based Medicine Committee recommendations for treatments of PD were first published in 2002 and updated in 2011, and we continued the review to December 31, 2016. Methods Level I studies of interventions for motor symptoms were reviewed. Criteria for inclusion and quality scoring were as previously reported. Five clinical indications were considered, and conclusions regarding the implications for clinical practice are reported. Results A total of 143 new studies qualified. There are no clinically useful interventions to prevent/delay disease progression. For monotherapy of early PD, nonergot dopamine agonists, oral levodopa preparations, selegiline, and rasagiline are clinically useful. For adjunct therapy in early/stable PD, nonergot dopamine agonists, rasagiline, and zonisamide are clinically useful. For adjunct therapy in optimized PD for general or specific motor symptoms including gait, rivastigmine is possibly useful and physiotherapy is clinically useful; exercise-based movement strategy training and formalized patterned exercises are possibly useful. There are no new studies and no changes in the conclusions for the prevention/delay of motor complications. For treating motor fluctuations, most nonergot dopamine agonists, pergolide, levodopa ER, levodopa intestinal infusion, entacapone, opicapone, rasagiline, zonisamide, safinamide, and bilateral STN and GPi DBS are clinically useful. For dyskinesia, amantadine, clozapine, and bilateral STN DBS and GPi DBS are clinically useful. Conclusions The options for treating PD symptoms continues to expand. These recommendations allow the treating physician to determine which intervention to recommend to an individual patient. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

International Parkinson and movement disorder society evidence‐based medicine review: Update on treatments for the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Pathophysiology of L-dopa-induced motor and non-motor complications in Parkinson's disease.

In a 6-month double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Parkinson's disease patients with motor fluctuations, safinamide 50 and 100 mg/d significantly increased ON-time without increasing dyskinesia. Further long-term safinamide use in these patients was evaluated over an additional 18 months. Patients continued on their randomized placebo, 50, or 100 mg/d safinamide. The primary endpoint was change in Dyskinesia Rating Scale total score during ON-time over 24 months. Other efficacy endpoints included change in ON-time without troublesome dyskinesia, changes in individual diary categories, depressive symptoms, and quality of life measures. Change in Dyskinesia Rating Scale was not significantly different in safinamide versus placebo groups, despite decreased mean total Dyskinesia Rating Scale with safinamide compared with an almost unchanged score in placebo. Ad hoc subgroup analysis of moderate to severe dyskinetic patients at baseline (36% of patients) showed a decrease with safinamide 100 mg/d compared with placebo (P = 0.0317). Improvements in motor function, activities of daily living, depressive symptoms, clinical status, and quality of life at 6 months remained significant at 24 months. Adverse events and discontinuation rates were similar with safinamide and placebo. This 2-year, controlled study of add-on safinamide in mid-to-late Parkinson's disease with motor fluctuations, although not demonstrating an overall difference in dyskinesias between patients and controls, showed improvement in dyskinesia in patients at least moderately dyskinetic at baseline. The study additionally demonstrated significant clinical benefits in ON-time (without troublesome dyskinesia), OFF-time, activities of daily living, motor symptoms, quality of life, and symptoms of depression.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/mds.25961

Two-Year, randomized, controlled study of safinamide as add-on to levodopa in mid to late Parkinson's disease

IMPORTANCE: 
Although levodopa remains the most effective oral pharmacotherapy for Parkinson disease (PD), its use is often limited by wearing off effect and dyskinesias. Management of such complications continues to be a significant challenge.

OBJECTIVE: 
To investigate the efficacy and safety of safinamide (an oral aminoamide derivative with dopaminergic and nondopaminergic actions) in levodopa-treated patients with motor fluctuations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: 
From March 5, 2009, through February 23, 2012, patients from academic PD care centers were randomized (1:1 ratio) to receive double-blind adjunctive safinamide or placebo for 24 weeks. All patients had idiopathic PD with “off” time (time when medication effect has worn off and parkinsonian features, including bradykinesia and rigidity, return) of greater than 1.5 hours per day (excluding morning akinesia). Their pharmacotherapy included oral levodopa plus benserazide or carbidopa in a regimen that had been stable for 4 weeks or longer. During screening, each patient’s regimen was optimized to minimize motor fluctuations. Study eligibility required that after 4 weeks of optimized treatment, the patients still have more than 1.5 hours per day of off time. Adverse events caused the premature study discontinuation of 12 individuals (4.4%) in the safinamide group and 10 individuals (3.6%) in the placebo group.


INTERVENTIONS: 
Patients took safinamide or placebo as 1 tablet daily with breakfast. If no tolerability issues arose by day 14, the starting dose, 50 mg, was increased to 100 mg.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: 
The prespecified primary outcome was each treatment group’s mean change from baseline to week 24 (or last “on” treatment value) in daily “on” time (relief of parkinsonian motor features) without troublesome dyskinesia, as assessed from diary data.

RESULTS: 
At 119 centers, 549 patients were randomized (mean [SD] age, 61.9 [9.0] years; 334 male [60.8%] and 371 white [67.6%]): 274 to safinamide and 275 to placebo. Among them, 245 (89.4%) receiving safinamide and 241 (87.6%) receiving placebo completed the study. Mean (SD) change in daily on time without troublesome dyskinesia was +1.42 (2.80) hours for safinamide, from a baseline of 9.30 (2.41) hours, vs +0.57 (2.47) hours for placebo, from a baseline of 9.06 (2.50) hours (least-squares mean difference, 0.96 hour; 95% CI, 0.56-1.37 hours; P < .001, analysis of covariance). The most frequently reported adverse event was dyskinesia (in 40 [14.6%] vs 15 [5.5%] and as a severe event in 5 [1.8%] vs 1 [0.4%]).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: 
The outcomes of this trial support safinamide as an effective adjunct to levodopa in patients with PD and motor fluctuations to improve on time without troublesome dyskinesia and reduce wearing off.

/pdf/assessment-of-safety-and-efficacy-of-safinamide-as-a-4nntd6g959.pdf

Assessment of Safety and Efficacy of Safinamide as a Levodopa Adjunct in Patients With Parkinson Disease and Motor Fluctuations: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Applications of fluorine-containing amino acids for drug design.

Levodopa is effective for the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), but is associated with motor fluctuations and dyskinesia Many patients require add-on therapy to improve motor fluctuations without exacerbating dyskinesia The objective of this Phase III, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of safinamide, an α-aminoamide with dopaminergic and nondopaminergic mechanisms, as add-on to l-dopa in the treatment of patients with PD and motor fluctuations Patients were randomized to oral safinamide 100 mg/day (n = 224), 50 mg/day (n = 223), or placebo (n = 222) for 24 weeks The primary endpoint was total on time with no or nontroublesome dyskinesia (assessed using the Hauser patient diaries) Secondary endpoints included off time, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part III (motor) scores, and Clinical Global Impression-Change (CGI-C) At week 24, mean ± SD increases in total on time with no or nontroublesome dyskinesia were 136 ± 2625 hours for safinamide 100 mg/day, 137 ± 2745 hours for safinamide 50 mg/day, and 097 ± 2375 hours for placebo Least squares means differences in both safinamide groups were significantly higher versus placebo Improvements in off time, UPDRS Part III, and CGI-C were significantly greater in both safinamide groups versus placebo There were no significant between-group differences for incidences of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) or TEAEs leading to discontinuation The addition of safinamide 50 mg/day or 100 mg/day to l-dopa in patients with PD and motor fluctuations significantly increased total on time with no or nontroublesome dyskinesia, decreased off time, and improved parkinsonism, indicating that safinamide improves motor symptoms and parkinsonism without worsening dyskinesia

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/mds.25751

A. Campeanu

Papers

Randomized trial of safinamide add-on to levodopa in Parkinson's disease with motor fluctuations.