ISRAELI AUTHORITIES APPROVE TEVA PARKINSON'S DRUG

According to local press reports, the Israeli health ministry has granted marketing authorisation for local generics major Teva's Parkinson's disease drug Azilect. The treatment is reportedly a novel medicine for incipient and moderate-to-advanced cases of the disease. The formulation, known as rasagiline, is a monoamine oxidase Type B inhibitor, which blocks the breakdown of dopamine, a brain chemical which helps to control muscle movements.

The company expects approvals in other countries shortly, following an initial rollout in Israel in March 2005. The drug has been jointly developed with Denmark-based drugmaker Lundbeck, which will market the drug on approval by European authorities.