Personalized Medicine Approach in Treating Parkinson's Disease, Using Oral Administration of Levodopa/Carbidopa Microtablets in Clinical Practice

Abstract

The most effective symptomatic treatment in Parkinson's disease (PD) is levodopa in standard doses. However, as the disease progresses, there may be a need for a more personalized approach and fine tuning, in accordance with the patients' needs. This study aims to evaluate the individual experience of levodopa/carbidopa 5/1.25 mg microtablets (LC-5) in clinical practice with respect to efficacy, tolerability, and usability. The method used was as follows: patients answered a questionnaire concerning the effect and usability of LC-5, and their medical records were reviewed. Regarding results, thirty-five survey responses were obtained, and 29 patients' medical records were reviewed. The LC-5 dose dispenser usability was generally rated positively and facilitated medication adherence. The majority (85%) of patients reported symptom improvement while using LC-5, compared with previous standard treatments. These results suggest that LC-5 therapy is generally well-tolerated, with favorable patient-reported efficacy and user friendliness, as well as the possibility for an individualized, fine-tuned PD treatment. Further studies with a prospective design and larger study population are needed to confirm the results.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; carbidopa; dose dispenser; levodopa; microtablets.

Figure 1

The patient-reported experienced change in bradykinesia and dyskinesia, as well as mood swings, pain, cognitive symptoms, and muscle cramps during LC-5 treatment. The response alternatives for “much worse” and “worse” are combined as “worse”, as well as “better” and “much better”, combined as “better”.