Dopamine is a naturally occurring substance in the brain that helps you control the movements of your body, such as walking and talking. In Parkinson's disease (PD) there is not enough dopamine in some parts of the brain.

Levodopa turns into dopamine when it enters the brain. Levodopa is used as a medication to replace some of the missing dopamine. By increasing the amount of dopamine in the brain, levodopa helps control PD symptoms and enables daily activities such as dressing, walking, and handling utensils.

Parkinson's disease is caused by a shortage of dopamine. Levodopa turns into dopamine when it enters the brain. When you take carbidopa/levodopa, only a small amount of the drug can exert its effect because the body has multiple mechanisms to break it down quickly before it has a chance to enter the brain. STALEVO blocks two mechanisms that break down levodopa, allowing more of it to reach the brain, enhancing and optimizing the effects of levodopa.

For patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) experiencing symptom re-emergence due to wearing off, STALEVO may deliver smoother and steadier levels of levodopa to the brain in an extended, more consistent manner. Clinical studies prove that when carbidopa, levodopa and entacapone (the three components in STALEVO) are combined, patients have better control of symptoms for longer periods of time-almost an hour and a half each day (1.4 hours).

Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about STALEVO.