Since Permax was approved in 1988, 12,000 to 25,000 patients have been prescribed the drug to treat the symptoms associated with Parkinson\'s. Permax is primarily used to treat Parkinson\'s patients during the early stages of the disease. Recent studies have revealed Permax heart valve disease problems in Parkinson\'s patients following long-term use of the drug.

Men and women are affected by Parkinson\'s disease in almost equal numbers. Parkinson\'s disease is the most commonly diagnosed neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer\'s. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, around 50,000 new Parkinson\'s Disease cases are reported annually. Since its approval doctors have prescribed Permax to over 500,000 Parkinson\'s and Restless Legs Syndrome patients.

Parkinson\'s symptoms are characterized in four primary ways:

• rest tremor of a limb (shaking with the limb at rest)
• rigidity (stiffness of the limbs and trunk)
• slowness of movement (bradykinesia)
• postural instability (poor balance)

Permax (peroglide) is a member of a class of drugs referred to as dopamine agonists and is used to help treat symptoms of Parkinson\'s disease. Most Parkinson\'s symptoms are caused by a lack of dopamine. Medications such at Permax are used to treat Parkinson\'s by attempting to mimic dopamine which helps improve the symptoms associated with Parkinson\'s disease.

Recent studies have shown an increased risk of Permax heart valve disease in Parkinson\'s patients who have taken the drug over a long period of time. A new Permax study, \"Cardiac Valve Regurgitation With Peroglide Compared With Nonergot Agonists in Parkinson Disease\", was published in the March 2007 issue of the medical journal Archives of Neurology. This study involved Parkinson\'s patients and showed an increased risk of Permax heart valve disease following long-term use of the drug. Two other Permax studies conducted in Britain and Italy also revealed a significant increase in Parkinson\'s patients developing heart valve disease. Permax valve injuries were found in around one-fourth of Parkinson\'s patients taking the drug.

In 2006 a black box warning was added to the Permax label following serious concerns of heart valve disease risks in Parkinson\'s patients taking the drug. On March 29, 2007 the FDA announced a Permax recall after more studies revealed increasing evidence of Permax heart valve disease in Parkinson\'s patients. The FDA stated that the withdrawal of Permax from the marketplace would not be immediate in order to allow time for doctors and patients to discuss appropriate alternative treatment options.

Steve Fields

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