Ropinirole treatment for restless legs syndrome.

Author(s): Chitnis S

Affiliation(s): Neurology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, J3.134 E, Dallas, Texas 75390-9036, USA. shilpa.chitnis@utsouthwestern.edu

Publication date & source: 2008-05, Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol., 4(5):655-64.

Publication type: Review

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a chronic neurological disorder associated with sleep disturbance. Ropinirole, a non-ergot dopamine agonist, has been widely studied for the treatment of moderate-to-severe primary RLS in a comprehensive clinical development program. In these studies, ropinirole was effective in significantly improving the symptoms of RLS, compared with placebo, in patients with moderate-to-severe primary RLS. These improvements are supported by data from individual studies, as well as by pooled analyses. Significant improvements in RLS symptoms were observed within 2 nights of treatment. Ropinirole also produced significant benefits on objective measures of RLS motor symptoms, such as periodic leg movements; and on subjective measures of sleep, ropinirole was generally well tolerated. A newly developed extended-release formulation of ropinirole may benefit patients who warrant an extended duration of therapy.