In the United States, an estimated 1.5 million Americans are afflicted with Parkinson’s disease (PD), with more than 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year. While the condition usually develops after the age of 65, 40 percent of people diagnosed are under age 60. Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive disorder of the central nervous system that belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders. It affects nearly equal numbers of men and women, with no obvious social, ethnic, economic or geographic boundaries. There presently is no cure for the disease, and the cause is unknown.
Levodopa/carbidopa is commonly used early in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, but as the disease progresses it becomes increasingly difficult to adequately control symptoms with this medication. In fact, Parkinson’s disease patients may experience many hours during the day in which their symptoms return as a result of medication wearing off. This wearing off is known as “off” time.
The good news is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zelapar (selegiline HCl) Orally Disintegrating Tablets, a once-daily adjunct...