Perspectives in the treatment of Parkinson's disease: COMT inhibitors open up new treatment strategies

Catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibition has been proposed as a means to increase levodopa bioavailability in patients with Parkinson's disease, which may be useful in reducing the total dose of levodopa, diminishing its frequency of administration and, more importantly, improving fluctuations in the response to each individual dose of levodopa, which usually develop after chronic treatment. Entacapone is a potent, selective peripheral catechol O-methyltransferase inhibitor which effectively inhibits the O-methylation of levodopa, thus increasing its central bioavailability and potentiating its behavioral effects. In clinical trials in patients with Parkinson's disease, entacapone has prolonged and improved the therapeutic effect of levodopa combined with a dopa decarboxylase inhibitor. The new drug has increased the "on" time duration, decreased the "off" time duration and has reduced the total dose requirements of levodopa. Entacapone has shown optimal tolerability at the currently recommended doses, with the added benefit of a lower required dose of levodopa. This, in turn, improves the tolerability of levodopa and thus the overall tolerability of the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease. (C) 1999 Prous Science. All rights reserved.