When will Opicapone be available in China?

Since June 24, 2016, a third COMT inhibitor, opicapone, has been commercially available. The drug has been approved by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of end-dose motor fluctuations in adult patients whose symptoms cannot be controlled by levodopa/carbidopa decarboxylase inhibitor combinations. Opicapone is a peripherally acting, reversible COMT inhibitor that requires only once-daily administration compared with entacapone.

After oral administration, Opicapone exhibits significant and durable COMT inhibition, with the degree of inhibition depending on the applied dose (5 mg-50%; ≥200 mg-100%). Due to the slow breakdown of the complex, Opicapone has a long-lasting effect (-50-70% 24 hours after the last dose (5-30 mg)). The Cmax and AUC of levodopa will increase if opicapone (25-100 mg) is given concurrently with immediate/controlled release 100/25 mg levodopa/carbidopa. Previous studies have shown that entacapone has a shorter duration of action (8 hours). The combined use of opicapone with other drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease (DA agonists, monoamine oxidase B inhibitors) does not affect its pharmacological mechanism of action.

Opicapone has not yet been launched in China, so it is not included in the scope of medical insurance. The specific launch time has not yet been determined. Domestic patients can only obtain this drug through overseas purchases. The European version of Opicapone’s original drug specifications listed overseasThe price per box of 50mg*90 capsules is around RMB 6,000 (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate). There is currently no generic version of Opicapone on the market. For more drug information and specific prices, please consult Yaode’s medical consultant.