September 29, 2026

@michaelokun

The FDA has approved tavapadon (JUVMO), a new once-daily dopamine D1/D5 receptor partial agonist for Parkinson’s disease that can be used as an initial symptomatic therapy or added to levodopa in people experiencing motor fluctuations, with the goal of improving good “ON” time. If you try tavapadon, remember that it is not automatically a replacement for your current Parkinson’s medications and that changes should be made with your treating clinician. Although clinical trials suggest that some of the problems traditionally associated with dopamine agonists may occur less frequently with this more selective drug, as tavapadon moves into real-world use we need to remain vigilant for the full spectrum of dopamine agonist related effects, including sleepiness, hallucinations, orthostatic hypotension, dyskinesia, and impulse-control behaviors (shopping, gambling, hypersexuality, others). New mechanism and once-a-day dosing are exciting, but careful monitoring after approval will tell us how tavapadon performs in the broader Parkinson’s community.