What kind of medicine is selegiline/midopir? Detailed introduction

Selegiline/imidopyr(Selegiline) is a selective inhibitor of monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) that has been clinically used for many years and is mainly used to treat Parkinson's disease. Its mechanism of action is to inhibit the decomposition of dopamine in the brain, thereby prolonging the action time of dopamine and improving the patient's motor symptoms. Since the occurrence of Parkinson's disease is closely related to the gradual reduction of dopaminergic neurons, selegiline can delay the progression of symptoms to a certain extent and is regarded as one of the important options for early treatment.

In clinical application, selegiline can be used as a single agent for patients with mild or early Parkinson's disease, or in combination with levodopa or in combination with levodopa and peripheral dopa decarboxylase inhibitors (such as carbidopa and benserazide). When combined with levodopa, it is especially suitable for patients with motor fluctuations. It can prolong the efficacy of levodopa and reduce the "on-off" phenomenon, thereby improving the patient's quality of daily life. It is worth noting that selegiline itself does not replace dopamine replacement therapy, but its role is to help maintain stable levels of neurotransmitters.

In recent years, selegiline research has also expanded into the possibility of neuroprotection. Some experiments suggest that its metabolites have certain antioxidant and neuroprotective activities, which provides new ideas for delaying the progression of the disease. Although the current clinical evidence still needs further confirmation, selegiline has become an important pharmacological tool in the study of neurodegenerative diseases.

Globally, selegiline is not only used in Parkinson's disease, but its potential value in mental illnesses such as depression is also being explored. For example, the selegiline transdermal patch that has been marketed abroad is used for treatment-resistant depression, showing cross-field clinical significance. With the development of precision medicine and multi-target therapy, selegiline's clinical positioning is expected to become more diversified.

Reference: https://www.drugs.com/mtm/selegiline.html