Tolcapone: a review of its use in the management of Parkinson's disease.

Gillian M Keating, Katherine A Lyseng-Williamson

Adis International Limited, Mairangi Bay, Auckland, New Zealand. demail@adis.co.nz

CNS drugs 2005

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Tolcapone (Tasmar) is a selective, reversible inhibitor of peripheral and central catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Results of well designed studies indicate that oral tolcapone is an effective adjunct to levodopa plus a peripheral dopa-decarboxylase inhibitor (DDCI) in patients with fluctuating Parkinson's disease. Tolcapone significantly improves levodopa-induced motor fluctuations and significantly reduces levodopa requirements. The drug is generally well tolerated, with the most commonly occurring adverse events being dopaminergic related. Thus, tolcapone is a useful option in patients with fluctuating Parkinson's disease who are receiving levodopa/DDCI and are not responding to, or are not candidates for, other adjunctive treatments.

Citation

Gillian M Keating, Katherine A Lyseng-Williamson. Tolcapone: a review of its use in the management of Parkinson's disease. CNS drugs. 2005;19(2):165-84