Stewart Factor, MD: Long-Term Data on Apomorphine Sublingual Film in Parkinson

"It has a significant effect on switching people from OFF to ON rather quickly—most patients within 15 minutes. This responsiveness, in this poster, has been shown to be maintained over 48 weeks."

Recently, interim long-term data were presented at 2020 MDS Virtual Congress, September 12–16, 2020, on the newly FDA-approved apomorphine sublingual film (Kynmobi; Sunovion) as a treatment for patients with Parkinson disease who experienced OFF episodes.

The analysis, conducted by lead author Stewart Factor, DO, director, Movement Disorders Program, and Vance Lanier Chair of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, and colleagues included 345 patients who received at least 1 dose of apomorphine sublingual film (median exposure: 141 d [range, 1–723]), and 67% were titrated within the first 3 doses. All told, by Week 48 of the study, the findings showed that 84% of patients reported full ON status 30 minutes post-dose. Comparatively, those rates were 78% at Week 1, 78% at Week 12, 74% at Week 24, and 89% at Week 36.

To find out more about what clinicians should take away from this analysis, NeurologyLive spoke with Factor in an interview. He discussed the findings and their translation to clinical practice, as well as gave his perspective on what the treatment, which recently became available in the US, offers patients with Parkinson.

For more coverage of MDS 2020, click here.

REFERENCE
1. Factor S, Ondo W, Isaacson S, Bhargava P, Navia B. A Long-Term Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy Study of Apomorphine Sublingual Film for On-Demand Treatment of “OFF” Episodes in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease: Interim Results. Presented at: MDS Virtual Congress; September 12–16, 2020. Abstract 888.