New Parkinson's treatment reaches UK market
Rasagiline, a new drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease discovered by Professors at the Technion, Israel's Institute of Science & Technology, is now available in the UK.
Rasagiline, a new drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease discovered by Professors at the Technion, Israel's Institute of Science & Technology, is now available in the UK.
The treatment, under the brand name Azilect, has been developed and is now available from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and H. Lundbeck.
It is able to slow the progress of Parkinsons', which affects about 120,000 people in the UK, by blocking the breakdown of dopamine, a substance in the brain needed to facilitate movement. Clinical trials also demonstrated significant reductions in the duration of the 'off time' (the time when medications no longer control the disease symptoms, resulting in slowness, stiffness and immobility).
'This discovery by Technion Professors marks a major breakthrough in the treatment of Parkinson's and will help slow the progress of this chronic disease,' said Tony Bernstein, executive director of the British Technion Society.