Health Canada Reviewing New Parkinson’s Medication

Knight Therapeutics has submitted a request to Health Canada to approve Crexont, an extended-release formulation of levodopa and carbidopa designed to provide more consistent symptom control for people living with Parkinson’s disease. 🧠 Why It Matters Parkinson’s disease is caused by the gradual loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that helps control movement. Medications like levodopa, combined with carbidopa, help manage motor symptoms by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. However, people with Parkinson’s often experience “off” episodes—periods when symptoms return between doses—as well as involuntary movements (dyskinesia) from long-term levodopa use. 💊 What Is Crexont? Crexont is designed to deliver both immediate and extended symptom relief in a single medication: It contains immediate-release granules of levodopa/carbidopa for fast symptom relief Plus, extended-release beads of levodopa to provide longer-lasting control This helps maintain more consistent medication levels in the body, reducing the number of doses needed per day and increasing “good on” time—the periods when symptoms are well managed. 📊 Clinical Evidence Approved in the United States, Crexont was tested in the Phase 3 RISE-PD trial, where it: Increased daily “good on” time by an average of 1.5 hours per dose Reduced the need for multiple daily doses (average of 3 vs. 5) Showed benefits for sleep quality, a common challenge in Parkinson’s 🌍 What’s Next? In addition to Canada, Knight Therapeutics plans to submit regulatory applications for Crexont in Mexico and Brazil later this year. Knight’s CEO, Samira Sakhia, noted the company’s commitment to improving care for people with Parkinson’s and addressing unmet medical needs in central nervous system conditions. Note: While Crexont is not yet approved in Canada, its progress marks a hopeful step toward more convenient and effective treatment options for people living with Parkinson’s disease.