Onstryv Now Available to Patients with Parkinson’s Disease in Canada

Patients in Canada with diagnosed Parkinson’s disease can now receive Onstryv (safinamide) to help manage their symptoms and their “off” episodes.

This follows the approval of Onstryv by Health Canada in January 2019 as an add-on treatment to improve motor function in Parkinson’s patients who experience “off periods” while taking other therapies such as levodopa.

The oral therapy will be available under prescription in 50 mg and 100 mg tablets, and be marketed in Canada by Valeo Pharma — under a license agreement with Zambon. Valeo has launched a physician awareness and information campaign to facilitate and expedite patients’ access to Onstryv.

“The number of Canadians afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease is expected to grow by more than 50% over the next decade as the Canadian population ages,” Steve Saviuk, CEO of Valeo, said in a press release. “Onstryv is the first new oral treatment for Parkinson’s Disease to be approved in Canada in well over a decade.”

“Valeo is committed to building and supporting relationships with healthcare professionals, patients and other stakeholders to build awareness and ensure access to this new treatment for Parkinson’s Disease,” he added.

Known as Onstryv in Canada and Xadago in the rest of the world, the compound is an oral, once-a-day add-on therapy that works by selectively and reversibly inhibiting the MAO-B enzyme that can degrade several neural signaling molecules such as dopamine, which is deficient in Parkinson’s disease. The therapy was approved in the United States in March 2017 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Onstryv was developed by Newron Pharmaceuticals and has demonstrated effectiveness in helping to control the motor symptoms and complications of Parkinson’s disease for over two years in patients. Zambon acquired rights from Newron Pharmaceuticals to develop and commercialize Onstryv globally.

Clinical trial data has shown that Onstryv can significantly reduce motor fluctuations (on/off time) when used in combination with levodopa and/or Lodosyn (carbidopa) without increasing the risk of dyskinesia (involuntary movements).

“Now, with the Canadian launch, safinamide is available across the North American region,” Stefan Weber, Newron CEO, said in a press release.

“This marks another key milestone for Newron and its commercial partners in providing availability of safinamide in Canada for the treatment of patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease,” he added.