Update: Manufacturer of the Parkinson's Patch Advises Patients about Recall; Recommends Patients See Their Doctors
- Mar 25 2008
On Thursday, March 20, the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF), issued a statement regarding UCB Inc.'s recall of Neupro® (rotigotine transdermal system), a treatment used to ease the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in its early stages. At that time, the company assured the public that their recall was made not because of concern about contamination or toxicity, but because of a deviation from approved product standards that has apparently reduced the effectiveness of the treatment.
UCB has now issued an update about their recall of all US batches and some European batches of the treatment. The company has addressed a letter specifically to those people with Parkinson’s who are currently using the patch and will be affected by the recall.
The letter advises all patients on Neupro® to contact their physicians to arrange for their doses to be reduced slowly over time and advises against sudden discontinuation of the treatment. UCB’s letter also illustrates how a less effective patch may appear differently than an effective one and provides a direct toll-free number for patients to call for further advisement.
Please click here to view the full letter from UCB Inc. to patients on Neupro®.
Dr. Christopher Goetz, Director of the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation Research Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, says that for patients now on Neupro®, the physician may recommend switching to one of the oral medications known as dopamine agonists that are in the same drug class as Neupro.
The PDF website will continue to keep readers informed as any further information becomes available.
