The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) traditionally has focused on research leading up to FDA review of a specific therapy for Parkinson's. With more drugs reaching the market, however, we realize the need to expand our strategic efforts into the post-approval period.
In January 2015, MJFF-awardee Impax Pharmaceuticals announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Rytary. This symptomatic treatment for Parkinson's is a drug that combines carbidopa with immediate and extended-release forms of levodopa in one capsule. Rytary can be taken at any stage of Parkinson's disease, but is most commonly prescribed for inadequate symptom control and/or motor complications, specifically when levodopa is taken four or more times per day. Compared to Sinemet (immediate-release levodopa combined with carbidopa), the total daily amount of levodopa required with Rytary is typically higher but the daily frequency of administration potentially lower. In other words, more pills are taken less often -- three to five times per day, on average.
In 2016, after Rytary had been on the market for over a year, the Foundation convened a group of people with Parkinson's (including members of MJFF's Patient Council) who have taken Rytary, and physician representatives who have prescribed Rytary in the treatment of Parkinson's. The group created two surveys -- one for people with Parkinson's who have taken Rytary and one for clinicians who have prescribed it -- to gain a better understanding of the benefits and side effects as well as any challenges associated with the medication.
Survey results will be used to help inform MJFF's ongoing and future research funding, educational endeavors, public policy efforts and industry collaborations. When available, our findings will be shared with the community and may serve as a model for understanding user and prescriber satisfaction as more drugs become available for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
If you have taken Rytary for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, take the short survey now.
Learn more about Rytary and other Parkinson's disease medications.
