Use of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel to treat patients with multiple system atrophy.

BACKGROUND: Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) is an effective treatment for late-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) but had not been evaluated in levodopa-responsive patients with the parkinsonian variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA-P) and motor fluctuations. We aimed to assess the safety of LCIG in MSA-P patients. METHODS: In a retrospective, single-center study, we analyzed clinical and treatment-related data for all patients with MSA-P or PD treated with LCIG between December 2004 and November 2017. Adverse events (AEs) were classified into three classes: AEs related to gastrointestinal effects or to the PEG-J procedure, AEs related to the device, and AEs related to the pharmacological effect of LCIG. RESULTS: 7 MSA-P and 63 PD patients had been treated with LCIG for a median [interquartile range] period of 31 [16;43] and 19 [8;45] months, respectively. There were no significant intergroup differences in safety. Enteral nutrition was introduced at the same time as LCIG treatment in 4 (57%) MSA-P patients. In the MSA-P and PD groups, LCIG was associated with a better Global Clinical Impression score and discontinuation of oral anti-parkinsonian drugs (in 43% and 27% of cases, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: LCIG treatment is feasible in MSA-P patients with severe motor complications. The safety profile is similar to that seen in PD.

Safety and effectiveness of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel for advanced Parkinson's disease: A large single-center study.

BACKGROUND: Treatment with levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) can effectively relieve motor and non-motor symptoms in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). However, adverse events (AEs) are frequent. OBJECTIVE: To describe AEs associated with LCIG treatment and the main reasons for treatment discontinuation. We also looked for factors that were potentially predictive of serious AEs and assessed the effectiveness of and satisfaction with LCIG. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed data on AEs in patients treated with LCIG at a French university medical center. For patients still receiving treatment at last follow-up, effectiveness was assessed according to the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale and the Movement Disorders Society - Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score. RESULTS: Of the 63 patients treated with LCIG for a mean (range) of 19 months (8-47), 57 (90%) experienced at least one AE (340 AEs in total). Most of the AEs (in 69.8% of the patients) were related to percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy with a jejunal tube (PEG-J) or affected the gastrointestinal tract (granuloma, leakage, or a local infection). Device-related AEs (such as PEG-J removal and device occlusion) were frequent (in 63.5% of patients). Forty-three patients (68%) required at least one additional endoscopic procedure. Dopatherapy-related AEs occurred in 30 patients (48%). Most of the AEs occurred long after treatment initiations, and only a small proportion led to discontinuation. On the CGI scale, 53 patients (84.4%) considered that their condition had improved during LCIG treatment. CONCLUSION: Despite the high frequency of AEs, patients with advanced PD gain clinical benefit from treatment with LCIG. This treatment requires a competent, multidisciplinary team on site.