The Food and Drug Administration has approved Azilect (rasagiline) for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The drug is a monoamine oxidase type--B (MAO-B) inhibitor that blocks the breakdown of dopamine, a chemical that sends information to the parts of the brain that control movement and coordination.
"This is a welcome development for the more than 50,000 Americans who are each year diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, " said Dr. Steven Galson, Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Parkinson's is a relentless disease with limited treatment options, and each new therapy is an important addition to the physicians' treatment options."
Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative condition caused by the destruction of the brain cells that produce dopamine. As the level of this chemical declines, messages from the brain telling the body how and when to move are delivered more slowly, leaving a person incapable of initiating and controlling movements in a normal way.
Azilect was approved for use as an initial single drug therapy in early Parkinson's disease, and as an addition to levodopa in more advanced patients. Levodopa is a standard treatment for Parkinson's disease. T
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