When is the best time to take Ongentys?
The recommended time to take Ongentys (opicapone) is once daily at bedtime and at least one hour after food. Eating is also not recommended for an hour of taking Ongentys.
Ongentys comes in capsule form and is a COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) inhibitor used as an add-on (adjunctive) treatment to levodopa/carbidopa in people with Parkinson’s disease experiencing ‘off’ episodes.
Why is Ongentys taken at night?
Ongentys works by increasing the amount of levodopa that reaches the brain, prolonging how long it is effective for. Ongentys does this by blocking the COMT enzyme, which breaks down levodopa in the blood.
By taking Ongentys at night or at least one hour apart from levodopa, the amount of levodopa available after a dose is increased, but any interaction between the two drugs during the levodopa absorption phase is avoided. Taking Ongentys at night means that there’s greater flexibility to adjust when levodopa is taken during the day, without the need to consider potential absorption interactions.
References
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ongentys. April 2020. [Accessed September 22, 2021]. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2020/212489s000lbl.pdf.
- Rocha JF, Sicard É, Fauchoux N, et al. Effect of opicapone multiple-dose regimens on levodopa pharmacokinetics. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2017;83(3):540-553. doi:10.1111/bcp.13156.
- Svetel M, Tomi'c A, Kresojevi'c N, Kosti'c V. Pharmacokinetic drug evaluation of opicapone for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2018;14(3):353-360. doi:10.1080/17425255.2018.1430138.
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The short-acting (immediate-release) formulation of carbidopa/levodopa takes effect within about 20 to 50 minutes. The long-acting (extended-release) formulation starts to work closer to the 50-minute timeframe. Continue reading
How often should carbidopa/levodopa be taken?
The immediate-release (short-acting) form of carbidopa/levodopa is usually taken 3 or 4 times each day, while the extended-release (long-acting) form is typically taken 2 to 4 times each day. Continue reading
Can carbidopa/levodopa cause high blood pressure?
Carbidopa/levodopa is unlikely to cause high blood pressure (hypertension). It was reported in less than 1% of patients in clinical trials and is not considered a common adverse reaction related to the drug. Continue reading
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