Abstract
Compounds, which inhibit enzyme activity of catechol-O-methyltransferease, are commonly employed in combination with levodopa/dopadecarboxylase inhibitor formulations in patients with Parkinson’s disease. They ameliorate wearing-off symptoms by prolongation of the peripheral half-life of levodopa, increase of the peripheral levodopa bioavailability, and decline of peripheral ups and downs of levodopa in plasma. Three catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors are currently approved. Two of them, the peripherally acting entacapone and, additionally, also centrally acting tolcapone induce a fluctuating enzyme inhibition and aks for more frequent daily oral intake. Opicapone provides a more continuous decline of enzyme activity and must be taken one time daily only. All marketed agents are predominantly used for the treatment of wearing off phenomena in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Inhibitors of catechol-O-methyltransferase do not improve levodopa associated dyskinesia but they reduce number of intakes of oral formulations, which contain levodopa plus a dopa decarboxylase inhibitor.
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Müller, T. (2020). Entacapone/Tolcapone/Opicapone for Treating Parkinson’s Disease. In: Riederer, P., Laux, G., Mulsant, B., Le, W., Nagatsu, T. (eds) NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_230-1
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