Parkinson's pump therapy shows promise but carries real dropout risks
A Swedish study tracking patients on a newer intestinal gel therapy for Parkinson's disease found nearly half remained on treatment after four years, but one in five quit due to side effects like diarrhea. The findings offer the first long-term real-world evidence for a drug class gaining adoption across Europe, with implications for patient selection and healthcare planning.
Originaltitel: A 4‐Year Follow‐Up of Levodopa‐Entacapone‐Carbidopa Intestinal Gel Treatment in Parkinson's Disease
<p><strong>Background </strong>Levodopa-entacapone-carbidopa intestinal gel (LECIG) infusion was introduced to the Swedish market in 2019 for Parkinson's disease (PD) with motor fluctuations. Long-term data are lacking.</p><p><strong>Objectives </strong>To study long-term data on LECIG treatment.</p><p><strong>Methods </strong>A retrospective analysis of the first 24 patients receiving LECIG in Sweden from 2019 to 2023.</p><p><strong>Results </strong>Five of 24 (21%) patients discontinued LECIG because of side effects, mostly diarrhea. Eight of the 24 (33%) patients died while receiving LECIG. Eleven of 24 (46%) patients were still on LECIG. Median (range) for disease and treatment duration was 19 (9–30) and 3.6 (3.1–4.0) years, respectively, whereas health-related quality of life scales showed median (interquartile range; n) Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire 8-item summary index scores of 38 (4; n = 7), EuroQol 5D scores of 0.59 (0.17; n = 7), and EQ-5D visual analogue scale scores of 65 (10; n = 7).</p><p><strong>Conclusions </strong>LECIG infusion is a viable treatment option for PD patients with motor fluctuations, for up to 4 years in our cohort.</p>