Parkinson’s disease is an age-related, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects 1–2% of people aged 60 years and older worldwide. There are over one million people living with Parkinson’s disease in the US alone, with 60,000 new cases being diagnosed each year.

Parkinson’s disease is characterized by the loss of a neurotransmitter called dopamine, a chemical that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. As PD progresses, the amount of dopamine produced in the brain decreases, leaving a person unable to control movement normally. The main motor symptoms, are tremor of the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face; slowness of movement ; stiffness of the limbs and trunk and impaired balance and coordination. Symptoms worsen over time and seriously impact the patient’s quality of life.

The first few years from diagnosis for most patients, depending on their disease status at the time of diagnosis – are defined as early-stage The gold standard treatment for Parkinson’s disease is levodopa,an effective treatment that also
causes significant side effects.Primary limitations of levodopa are motor complications such as dyskinesia, and fluctuation leading to “off” time. The limitations lead physicians to recommend levodopa at later stages of the disease and use alternative medications at early stage, primarily MAO-B inhibitors and dopamine agonists. Those alternative early stage medications in current doses are associated with specific side effects, while lower doses are ineffective.