There’s a lot of promise and momentum in Parkinson’s drug development. We started 2024 with the potential for four new Parkinson’s medications to gain approval in the United States. These treatments include the following:
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Under-the skin, continuous apomorphine infusion, given through a pump, like an insulin pump used by people with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
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Under-the-skin, continuous levodopa/carbidopa infusion, also given through an insulin pump-like device
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Under-the skin, continuous levodopa/carbidopa infusion given through a pump-patch that attaches to the skin
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Reformulated, potentially longer-acting levodopa/carbidopa pill
New Therapies Aim for Better Parkinson’s Symptom Control
All these medications temporarily replace or mimic dopamine, the brain chemical that decreases in Parkinson’s, causing movement difficulties. The infusions aim to provide a consistent medication level to help smooth out symptom fluctuations — when times of little or no symptoms alternate with times of significant symptoms and/or extra movement (dyskinesia) throughout the day. The pill aims to potentially provide better symptom control with fewer daily medication doses.
Updates on Potential Approvals
The new levodopa/carbidopa pill is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We anticipate a decision by the end of August 2024.
Each of the new device-based drug’s applications received a “complete response letter” (CRL) from the FDA. These letters outlined areas for drugmakers to address about the devices themselves or the manufacturing process. While this is a delay in the approval process, the good news is that each of these medications could still gain approval. The drugmakers are working with the FDA to address outstanding matters and potentially resubmit their application.
Learn more about how the FDA approval process works and view our full breakdowns of currently available Parkinson’s medications. And stay tuned to our channels for the latest research and drug development news.