TEVA LAUNCHES AZILECT IN CANADA

Teva Neuroscience has announced the launch of Azilect (rasagiline mesylate), the first and the only once-daily treatment for Parkinson's disease now available by prescription in pharmacies throughout Canada. This is important news for those living with Parkinson's who are taking their medications up to five times a day. The drug is the first new product for the effective treatment of Parkinson's to come to market in more than five years in Canada.

The drug was approved by Health Canada on Aug. 17 based on data from three multicenter, multinational, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical studies. The studies, which included more than 1,500 patients, provided statistically significant evidence of efficacy, while also demonstrating good tolerability as both initial monotherapy in early disease and adjunct therapy in moderate-to-advanced disease.

"Azilect is well-tolerated and offers convenient dosing, making it a good choice for people living with [Parkinson's] in both early and moderate-to-advanced stages of the disease," said Jon Congleton, general manager of Teva Neuroscience Canada.