Content about Parkinson's disease

PITTSBURGH — Generic drug maker Mylan has settled with Orion over a drug used to treat Parkinson's disease, Mylan said Thursday.

The company said it reached a settlement with Orion to resolve patent litigation concerning a generic version of Orion's drug Comtan (entacapone) tablets in the 200-mg strength. The drug is used with levodopa-carbidopa therapy to treat Parkinson's patients who experience signs and symptoms of end-of-dose "wearing off."

HYDERABAD, India — Dr. Reddy's Labs has launched a drug for treating Parkinson's disease, the company said Thursday.

Dr. Reddy's introduced ropinirole hydrochloride extended-release tablets in the 2-mg, 4-mg, 6-mg, 8-mg and 12-mg strengths. The 2-mg, 4-mg and 6-mg strengths will be available in 30- and 90-count bottle sizes, while the other two strengths will be available in 30-count bottles.

The drug is a generic version of GlaxoSmithKline's Requip XL, which had sales of $58 million during the 12-month period ended in March, according to IMS Health.

ATLANTA — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a patch for treating restless legs syndrome and Parkinson's disease.

UCB announced the FDA approval of Neupro (rotigotine) transdermal system advanced-stage idiopathic Parkinson's and moderate-to-severe restless legs syndrome.

HAYWARD, Calif. — The Food and Drug Administration has accepted a new drug application for the treatment of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.

Impax Pharmaceuticals, the branded products division of Impax Labs, said it filed its NDA for the investigational drug IPX066, an extended-release capsule formulation of carbidopa-levodopa, for review in December 2011. IPX066 has been licensed to GlaxoSmithKline for countries outside the United States and Taiwan for development and marketing.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Chelsea Therapeutics International has applied for Food and Drug Administration approval of a drug for a disorder that affects patients with diseases like Parkinson's disease.

The drug maker announced the submission of a new drug application for Northera (droxidopa) as a treatment for neurogenic orthostatic hypotension. NOH predominantly affects people with primary autonomic failure, a group of diseases that includes Parkinson's, multiple system atrophy and pure autonomic failure.

DARMSTADT, Germany — Merck KGaA has finished enrolling patients in a late-stage clinical study of a drug for Parkinson's disease, the German drug maker said.

Merck KGaA, which is a separate company from U.S.-based Merck & Co. and operates in the United States under the name EMD, said 549 patients with mid- to late-stage Parkinson's had enrolled in the phase-3 "SETTLE" study of safinamide. The study is designed to evaluate the drug's safety and efficacy as an add-on therapy to levodopa, a common treatment for Parkinson's.

ABBOTT PARK, Ill. — Patients with Parkinson’s disease treated with an investigational drug made by Abbott saw a decrease in the amount of time their symptoms resurfaced, while the time in which their symptoms stayed under control increased, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial that Abbott announced Thursday.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Use of amphetamines could increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study.