Novartis/Orion Stalevo for Parkinson’s
This article was originally published in Pharmaceutical Approvals Monthly
Executive Summary
Novartis/Orion's idiopathic Parkinson's disease therapy Stalevo (carbidopa, levodopa and entacapone) clears FDA June 11. The combination product adds entacapone (Novartis/Orion's Comtan) to the standard Parkinson's regimen of levodopa/carbidopa. Labeling says Stalevo can be used as a substitute for taking levodopa/carbidopa and Comtan separately. The firms have highlighted more convenient dosing as an advantage of the combo product (1Pharmaceutical Approvals Monthly Sept. 1, 2002, p. 59