Methotrexate: profile and news

Expert Offers Insight *** Seminars Goal to Describe Aspects of ...  07 Mar 2006
Levodopa is the most widely prescribed Parkinsons medication; however, it can cause involuntary movements and motor fluctuations, particularly in younger ... - International News Service,

Treating Parkinson's Disease  Mar 3, 2006
One common therapy is a combination of the drugs levodopa and carbidopa. ... Levodopa is most helpful for reducing signs of rigidity and bradykinesia. ... - WSOCtv.com,

Analysis: Parkinsons patch helps symptoms  Feb 27, 2006
This is welcome news for patients," he told UPI. The current gold standard for the treatment of Parkinson's is levodopa, found in several FDA-approved drugs. ... - United Press International

Valeant Pharmaceuticals Receives FDA Approval of Less-Restrictive ...  Feb 22, 2006
...tolcapone), the company's COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) inhibitor product for Parkinson's disease patients undergoing treatment with levodopa/carbidopa. ... - Genetic Engineering News,

Orion Oyj: Orion group 2005 financial statements  Feb 9, 2006
The COMT enzyme inhibitor Comtess®/Comtan® (entacapone) that is used together with levodopa in treating Parkinson’s Disease was launched in Europe in 1998 ... - Kauppalehti (press release),

Pilot study suggests antibiotic, creatine may aid Parkinson’s  Mar 2, 2006
...coordination. Standard treatments are to replace lost dopamine with the drug levodopa, and a brain implant to control tremors. Both ... - Montreal Gazette,

Bilateral chronic subdural haematoma: a reversible cause of ...  Feb 9, 2006
A trial of Madopar (Levodopa and benserazide: 62.5 mg three times a day for 2 weeks) was given by the GP but this failed to improve the situation and he became ... - Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine

COMUNICADO: Boehringer Ingelheim Receives Recommendation From EU ...  Feb 24, 2006
...research, is currently approved for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's Disease, as monotherapy or in combination with levodopa. ... - Europa Press,

Preliminary Study Shows Creatine and Minocycline May Warrant ...  Feb 24, 2006
Although certain drugs, such as levodopa, can reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's, no treatment has been shown to slow the progressive deterioration in function ... - DG News

Medications provide relief  Feb 23, 2006
Among them are: Levodopa, which nerve cells can use to make dopamine, the chemical that Parkinson's patients don't make enough of. ... - Louisville Courier-Journal,

'Novel' Therapies such as Sarizotan and Safinamide are Expected to ...  Feb 2, 2006
Few key players compete in the PD market because levodopa, which has been marketed for more than 40 years, remains the gold standard for treating PD and ... - Genetic Engineering News,

Preliminary Study Shows Creatine and Minocycline May Warrant ...  Feb 23, 2006
Although certain drugs, such as levodopa, can reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s, no treatment has been shown to slow the progressive deterioration in ... - National Institutes of Health (press release)

Multi-component drug delivery system: An emerging trend  Feb 8, 2006
The third category includes combinations that improve pharmacokinetic properties like co-administration of levodopa and decarboxylase inhibitor which reduces ... - Express Pharma Pulse,

Mylan Reports Third Quarter Adjusted Diluted EPS of $0.25  Feb 2, 2006
Continued competition on certain products, primarily omeprazole, carbidopa/levodopa and Amnesteem(TM), was responsible for the overall unfavorable pricing and ... - MSN Money

Orion Oyj: Orion group 2005 financial statements  09 Feb 2006
The COMT enzyme inhibitor Comtess®/Comtan® (entacapone) that is used together with levodopa in treating Parkinson’s Disease was launched in Europe in 1998 ... - Kauppalehti (press release),

Multi-component drug delivery system: An emerging trend  Feb 8, 2006
The third category includes combinations that improve pharmacokinetic properties like co-administration of levodopa and decarboxylase inhibitor which reduces ... - Express Pharma Pulse,

'Novel' Therapies such as Sarizotan and Safinamide are Expected to ...  Feb 2, 2006
Few key players compete in the PD market because levodopa, which has been marketed for more than 40 years, remains the gold standard for treating PD and ... - Genetic Engineering News,

L-dopa therapy, other Parkinson’s options  Jan 10, 2006
If the diagnosis is Parkinson's disease, then levodopa (commonly called L-dopa) would likely alleviate his tremors and improve his walking. ... - Newsday,

International Approvals: Tasmar, Amplimexon, IV Remodulin  Jan 17, 2006
The selective, potent, and reversible catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor is indicated for use in combination with levodopa/benserazide or levodopa ... - Medscape (subscription)

Mylan Reports Third Quarter Adjusted Diluted EPS of $0.25  Feb 2, 2006
Continued competition on certain products, primarily omeprazole, carbidopa/levodopa and Amnesteem(TM), was responsible for the overall unfavorable pricing and ... - MSN Money

Study of Parkinson's shows the disease may be checked by ...  Jan 11, 2006
Parkinson disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, with most patients requiring the medication levodopa to control symptoms. But ... - Newstarget.com,

Eye Cell Implants Improve Motor Symptoms For Parkinson Patients  Jan 9, 2006
Most patients with PD require therapy with the medication levodopa to control symptoms three to five years after a diagnosis of PD. ... - Science Daily (press release)

Parkinson disease: implants of retinal pigment epithelial cells ...  Jan 7, 2006
Most patients with Parkinson disease require therapy with the medication Levodopa to control symptoms three to five years after a diagnosis of Parkinson disease ... - Xagena.it,

One day at a time with Parkinson's  Jan 10, 2006
...developing a cure. Today, the most widely prescribed treatment is a combination of two drugs, Levodopa and Carbidopa. They are described ... - Globe and Mail,

IMPAX Settles Patent Suit and Signs Marketing and Promotion ...  Jan 19, 2006
...target market for Carbatrol of approximately 8,300 neurologists in the US overlaps with the Company's target market for Vadova(TM) (carbidopa and levodopa). ... - Genetic Engineering News,

Reduce platelet aggregation, blood clotting, inflammation, nervous ...  Jan 12, 2006
Kava kava can potentiate the effect of drugs that act on the central nervous system, such as levodopa prescribed for Parkinson’s disease, alprazolam (Xanor ... - Health24.com,

Fox Foundation Grant Funds Major Gene Therapy Advance For ...  Jan 8, 2006
Current treatment options focus on replacing lost dopamine with the drug levodopa (L-dopa), which converts to dopamine in the brain, or brain surgery to ... - Medical News Today (press release),

Concomitant administration of some NSAIDs with high dose methotrexate therapy has been reported to elevate and prolong serum methotrexate levels, resulting in deaths from severe hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicity.

Caution should be used when NSAIDs and salicylates are administered concomitantly with lower doses of methotrexate. These drugs have been reported to reduce the tubular secretion of methotrexate in an animal model and may enhance its toxicity. 

Despite the potential interactions, studies of methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis have usually included concurrent use of constant dosage regimens of NSAIDs, without apparent problems. It should be appreciated, however, that the doses used in rheumatoid arthritis (7.5 to 15 mg/week) are somewhat lower than those used in psoriasis and that larger doses could lead to unexpected toxicity. 

Methotrexate is partially bound to serum albumin, and toxicity may be increased because of displacement by certain drugs, such as salicylates, phenylbutazone, phenytoin, and sulfonamides. Renal tubular transport is also diminished by probenecid; use of methotrexate with this drug should be carefully monitored. 

Oral antibiotics such as tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and nonabsorbable broad spectrum antibiotics, may decrease intestinal absorption of methotrexate or interfere with the enterohepatic circulation by inhibiting bowel flora and suppressing metabolism of the drug by bacteria. 

Penicillins may reduce the renal clearance of methotrexate; increased serum concentrations of methotrexate with concomitant hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicity have been observed with high and low dose methotrexate. Use of methotrexate with penicillins should be carefully monitored. 

The potential for increased hepatotoxicity when methotrexate is administered with other
hepatotoxic agents has not been evaluated. However, hepatotoxicity has been reported in such cases. Therefore, patients receiving concomitant therapy with methotrexate and other potential hepatotoxins (e.g., azathioprine, retinoids, sulfasalazine) should be closely monitored for possible increased risk of hepatotoxicity.

Methotrexate may decrease the clearance of theophylline; theophylline levels should be monitored when used concurrently with methotrexate. 

Vitamin preparations containing folic acid or its derivatives may decrease responses to systemically administered methotrexate. Preliminary animal and human studies have shown that small quantities of intravenously administered leucovorin enter the CSF primarily as 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and in humans, remain 1 - 3 orders of magnitude lower than the usual methotrexate concentrations following intrathecal administration. However, high doses of leucovorin may reduce the efficacy of intrathecally administered methotrexate. 

Folate deficiency states may increase methotrexate toxicity. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole has been reported rarely to increase bone marrow suppression in patients receiving methotrexate, probably by an additive antifolate effect.