Questions, cost concerns
Commenting on the study, Alfonso Fasano, MD, PhD, professor of neurology and chair in neuromodulation, University of Toronto, agreed that better therapeutic options are needed for Parkinson’s disease.
Combining available treatments into one pill “might help patients’ adherence, although this can compromise our ability to dose each compound individually,” said Dr. Fasano, who was not involved with the research.
He added that there are also questions about dosage modification as a patient’s disease progresses and whether a higher dose might pose safety problems. There is also the issue of cost. “Conducting large clinical trials like this one is expensive, and I wonder about the cost of the drug when approved,” Dr. Fasano noted. “Do we really need to invest in combination pills containing two already well-known compounds?”
Dr. Olanow, who is not directly involved with Pharma Two B, the developer of P2B001, said he has no information on what the drug might cost or how it might be marketed if approved for use.
“The advantage of the combination is the component doses are not replicable, they are both in an extended-release formulation, it doesn’t require titration, and it has been tested and proven to work,” he said.
The study was funded by Pharma Two B. Dr. Olanow is employed by Clintrex Research Corporation and owns stock in Clintrex Research Corporation. Dr. Fasano reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.