HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Brooks, D. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brooks, D. J.

Neurology supplements are not peer-reviewed. Information contained in Neurology supplements represent the opinions of the authors and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views of the American Academy of Neurology, Editor-in-Chief, or Associate Editors of Neurology.

Safety and tolerability of COMT inhibitors

From the Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, United Kingdom.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Prof. David J. Brooks, Cyclotron Building, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.

Combining levodopa with the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor entacapone has been shown to be an effective strategy in the management of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients experiencing motor fluctuations. Safety and tolerability information has come from postmarketing surveillance studies as well as several randomized, placebo-controlled trials with long-term open-label extension phases specifically investigating the safety and tolerability of levodopa plus entacapone. Results show the most common dopaminergic side effects to be dyskinesia and nausea, which result from the increased bioavailability of levodopa and can be readily managed. Non-dopaminergic side effects include diarrhea and harmless urine discoloration. There is no convincing evidence of hepatic injury with entacapone use, and therefore monitoring of liver enzymes is unnecessary. With over 300,000 patient-years of exposure, levodopa combined with entacapone can be considered safe and well tolerated.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. Elovaara, J. Mikkola, L. Luukkanen, L. Antonio, S. Fournel-Gigleux, B. Burchell, J. Magdalou, and J. Taskinen ASSESSMENT OF CATECHOL INDUCTION AND GLUCURONIDATION IN RAT LIVER MICROSOMES Drug Metab. Dispos., December 1, 2004; 32(12): 1426 - 1433. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]