pramipexole + ropinirole (University of Toronto)

Pramipexole + ropinirole (where ropirinole is a variant spelling of ropinirole) refers to the dopamine agonist (DA) monotherapy arm of a randomized, single-blind clinical trial (NCT02347059) conducted at Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto. In this trial, patients with advanced Parkinson's disease undergoing bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) were randomized to receive either L-dopa monotherapy or dopamine agonist monotherapy—the latter being either pramipexole or ropinirole—for a 2-month period. Both pramipexole and ropinirole are small-molecule, non-ergoline dopamine agonists that act primarily on dopamine D2 and D3 receptors in the brain. They are used to manage the motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease by mimicking the action of endogenous dopamine. The study's primary aim was to compare the efficacy and safety of L-dopa monotherapy versus dopamine agonist monotherapy on non-motor symptoms, such as apathy and depression, in advanced Parkinson's disease patients following STN DBS.

Brand names

MirapexRequip

Other names

pramipexole + ropirinole