Advances and challenges in the dosage form design for the treatment of Parkinson's disease

Discov Med. 2012 Dec;14(79):369-77.

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a multifactorial nature due to the reduction in dopamine level in the brain. The projected number of people with Parkinson's disease is expected to increase mostly due to a greater aging population. Clinicians often face challenges in controlling the effective drug concentration in a patient's body to achieve therapeutic response throughout various stages of Parkinson's disease. To meet the therapeutic goals at different levels of Parkinson's progression, various dosage form approaches are used to enhance the delivery of anti-Parkinson's disease drugs into the brain. This review provides a summary on the available anti-Parkinson's disease drug dosage forms as well as the prototypes that are still under investigation through oral, transmucosal, transdermal, intranasal, pulmonary, rectal, and parenteral routes. These novel delivery systems will be extremely important in increasing therapeutic efficacy and reducing unwanted complications in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dosage Forms
  • Drug Administration Routes
  • Humans
  • Neuroprotective Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Neuroprotective Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Dosage Forms
  • Neuroprotective Agents