FRIDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Xenazine (tetrabenazine) has
been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the first
drug to treat chorea, the jerky involuntary movement that occurs in
people with Huntington's disease.
It's the first FDA-approved treatment of any symptom of
Huntington's, an inherited disorder that affects about 30,000
people in the United States, the agency said Friday in a news
release. Another 200,000 people are at risk of developing the rare
neurologic disease. People who develop Huntington's typically start
to have symptoms between ages 30 and 50.
Xenazine suppresses the ability of dopamine to work as a
chemical communicator between certain nerve cells in the brain. In
people with Huntington's, this system is overactive, causing
chorea.
The drug can have serious side effects, including suicidal
thoughts and depression, the agency warned. It shouldn't be used in
patients who are suicidal or in those with untreated
depression.
Less severe side effects could include insomnia, drowsiness,
restlessness and nausea.
Xenazine is manufactured by Prestwick Pharmaceuticals of
Washington, D.C.
More information
To learn more about Huntington's disease, visit the
U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke.
