The First Drug Approved for the Treatment of Hallucinations and Delusions Associated with Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis is now available through NUPLAZIDconnect™ Patient Access and Support Services
The American Parkinson Disease Association is pleased to share the news that ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs in central nervous system (CNS) disorders, announced earlier this week that they have established NUPLAZIDconnect™, a comprehensive program that provides access assistance to patients, their care partners, and physicians, as well as financial assistance to those patients who qualify.
ACADIA is committed to ensuring that patients in the United States who are prescribed NUPLAZID are able to access the medicine and receive the ongoing support they may need. NUPLAZID is available through a specialty pharmacy network. Patients and physicians can access information about NUPLAZID and NUPLAZIDconnect™ by visiting www.nuplazid.com or calling 844-737-2223.
This news is groundbreaking for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who experience symptoms of psychosis. According to Laura Marsh, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Michael E. DeBakey, VA Medical Center and member of the APDA Scientific Advisory Board, “Up to 60% of patients with Parkinson’s disease experience psychosis, or hallucinations and delusions that are associated with considerable distress, behavioral disturbances and care partner burden. Medications typically used to treat psychosis are poorly tolerated in people with PD, and worsen motor symptoms. NUPLAZID, in clinical trials, reduces psychotic symptoms without blocking dopamine receptors, and, therefore, does not aggravate PD motor symptoms. Its approval for clinical use provides a promising and welcome new option for managing this challenging complication of PD.”
NUPLAZID is the first and only medicine to be approved by the FDA for this indication. NUPLAZID is also the only drug approved by the FDA that preferentially targets 5-HT2A receptors. These receptors are thought to play an important role in Parkinson’s disease psychosis. The unique pharmacology of NUPLAZID establishes a new class of drug – selective serotonin inverse agonists (SSIA) – by not only preferentially targeting 5-HT2A receptors but also avoiding activity at dopamine and other receptors commonly targeted by antipsychotics. Typical Parkinson’s disease therapy consists of drugs that stimulate dopamine to treat patients’ motor symptoms such as tremor, muscle rigidity and difficulty with walking. NUPLAZID does not interfere with patients’ dopaminergic therapy and therefore does not impair their motor function.
If you are a person with Parkinson’s or a family member with questions please contact APDA at 800-223-2732.