FDA approves tavapadon as a Parkinson’s disease treatment

The FDA has approved tavapadon, sold as Juvmo, as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease in the United States, according to Healio and The BMJ. AbbVie officials told Healio that the drug selectively targets D1/D5 dopamine receptors in motor pathways. Healio described it as the first approved Parkinson’s treatment to target those receptors, rather than D2/D3 receptors.

Healio reported that, in trials before approval, participants with early Parkinson’s disease had significant improvements in combined Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale parts II and III scores. Participants experiencing motor fluctuations while taking levodopa also had significant improvements in daily good “on time” after adding tavapadon. The BMJ said approval followed phase 3 trial results and described the drug as seeming to cause fewer serious side effects than some existing treatments. AbbVie officials expected to make it available to U.S. patients this month, Healio reported.