MANAGING PARKINSON'S DISEASE AT EVERY STAGE

How MIRAPEX Works

To understand how MIRAPEX works, it's important to understand how Parkinson's disease works. There is a chemical in the brain called dopamine that is necessary for smooth, voluntary muscle movement. People with Parkinson's disease do not produce enough dopamine in their brains. This causes people to have tremor, rigidity, and other symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease.⁹ (Learn more about Parkinson's disease)

MIRAPEX belongs to a class of drugs known as "dopamine agonists." It is believed that it works by mimicking the action of dopamine in the brain to help control the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.¹⁰

Patients and caregivers should be informed that impulse control disorders/compulsive behaviors may occur while taking medicines, including MIRAPEX, to treat Parkinson's disease.

KEY POINTS
People with Parkinson's disease don't produce enough dopamine in their brains MIRAPEX appears to mimic the action of dopamine to help control symptoms

Dopamine Agonists

How they work

Dopamine agonists (DOPE-a-meen AG-oh-nists) are drugs that attach to the same sites in the brain as naturally occurring dopamine. This causes the brain to respond in the same way as if it had actually received dopamine.⁹

There are two types of dopamine agonists. The first are older drugs that were created from a type of fungus called "ergot." These are called "ergot-derived" dopamine agonists. The newer drugs were synthesized in the laboratory, and are called non-ergot-derived dopamine agonists. The ergot-derived dopamine agonists available in the United States include Parlodel^®† (bromocriptine mesylate).²⁸

Two dopamine agonists are currently available in the US for treating Parkinson's disease: Requip^®† (ropinirole) and MIRAPEX (pramipexole dihydrochloride).^10,30

MIRAPEX

MIRAPEX is prescribed for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease. It's the most frequently prescribed drug in its class.²⁰

It has been shown to be effective in treating the symptoms of early stage Parkinson's disease without levodopa.¹¹ During the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease, taking MIRAPEX in combination with levodopa therapy may provide the additional benefit of reducing the dose of levodopa that is needed.¹³

KEY POINTS
Dopamine agonists help satisfy the brain's need for dopamine Parlodel® is an older drug derived from a fungus MIRAPEX has been shown to be effective in treating Parkinson's disease

Next: Learn more about taking MIRAPEX

^† Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., uses the Mirapex^® trademark under license. The other trademarks referenced above are owned by third parties not affiliated with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.