Teva says Health Canada approves Azilect for Parkinson's disease

By Lisa Kerner

Charlotte, N.C., Aug. 21 - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. said Health Canada has approved its Azilect (rasagiline tablets) once-daily oral treatment as initial monotherapy in early Parkinson's disease and as adjunct therapy to levodopa in moderate to advanced disease.

Azilect is expected to become available in Canada in September, according to a company news release.

The drug's approval was based on data from three multicenter, multinational, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies in more than 1,500 patients.

"This is a key milestone for our company, but, more importantly, a significant new treatment option for the more than 100,000 Parkinson's disease patients and their families in Canada," general manager of Teva Neuroscience Canada Jon Congleton said in the release.

The development of Azilect is part of a long-term alliance between Teva and H. Lundbeck A/S.

Azilect is available in 19 countries, including the United States as of July.

Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder whose exact cause is unknown. The disease usually affects people over the age of 50.

In 2005, global sales of drugs to treat Parkinson's disease reached about $3 billion, the company said.

Teva is a generic pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical ingredients company based in Jerusalem, Israel.

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