New Drug Gives Hope
For Parkinson's sufferers

    Once a fit commando army reservist, Phil Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease six years ago. Now, he's now struggling with its debilitating symptoms, which limit his movement.

    I'm sick of dropping things, knocking things off the table," the 60-year-old says.

    He takes around 20 pills a day, but he's among the 60 percent of sufferers who find their drugs wear off before the next dose is due. This makes his tremors worsen, alternating with frustrating periods when his muscles become completely rigid.

    "I just stop," he says. "I get in the shower and get to the stage where I'm toweling off, and I just can't move."

    This 'wearing off' affliction was recently and most sadly illustrated by the Pope's inability to deliver his Easter message.

    But a new medication called Stalevo is now available in Australia. It combines three medications for Parkinson’s in one, helping boost the brain chemical dopamine in the brain, which is known to be deficient in Parkinson's sufferers.

    Doctors say this is the first major advance in 15 years of treatment for Parkinson's, reportedly giving patients longer periods of controlled movement. It is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) this week.

    Mr Jackson is hopeful the treatment will make his life more normal, while patient groups welcomed its subsidised listing. Parkinson’s NSW spokeswoman Miriam Dixon said the disease often placed a massive financial burden on sufferers.

    "People with Parkinson's are living with the illness for many years and their finances are really strained," she says.

    "So it's fantastic this drug is available at an affordable price."

  Parkinson's Disease | Today's News