safinamide

Safinamide is a small molecule, orally administered drug used as an adjunctive treatment to levodopa/carbidopa in adults with Parkinson's disease who experience "off" episodes. It is a selective and reversible monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitor, which increases extracellular dopamine levels in the striatum by reducing dopamine degradation. In addition to its dopaminergic action, safinamide exhibits non-dopaminergic mechanisms including inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels, modulation of calcium channels, and suppression of excessive glutamate release from synaptic terminals. This multimodal mechanism distinguishes it from other MAO-B inhibitors such as selegiline and rasagiline. Safinamide was developed for the management of motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease and has demonstrated both neuroprotective and neurorescuing effects in preclinical models[1][2][3][5][6][8].

Brand names

Xadago

Other names

Safinamida