Levodopa,— still the gold standard after 40 years of sueeessful treatment

摘要

Levodopa, still the gold standard treatment for Parkinson's disease almost four decades after it was launched, has achieved a place in pharmaceutical history that few drugs will ever match. Yet, when it was introduced as Larodopa by Roche, only those who had witnessed Parkinson's patients get out of their wheelchairs after levodopa treatment would have put money on such success. In the early days, the dramatic tales of recovery were offset by cases of disappointing efficacy and unacceptable side effects.