Thanks for posting this sim00. It wasn't on my radar. Here's my briefing notes.

According to Wikipedia [1]:

"Safinamide is a reversible and selective monoamine oxidase B inhibitor, reducing degradation of dopamine, and a glutamate release inhibitor... It also seems to inhibit dopamine reuptake... Additionally, safinamide blocks sodium and calcium channels."

"Safinamide has been approved by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of adult patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease as add-on therapy to a stable dose of Levodopa (L-dopa) alone or in combination with other PD drugs in patients with mid-to-late-stage fluctuating disease."

According to the Pharmaceutical Journal [2]:

"Long-term treatment with levodopa can eventually lead to fluctuations in control of movement and an increase in involuntary movements, termed dyskinesia. Adding safinamide to levodopa increases the time patients’ symptoms are controlled – so-called “on” time – with little or no troublesome dyskinesia."

"The medicine is available in two strengths, 100mg and 50mg, both taken once daily. There was no difference between average on and off time between the doses, but the 100mg tablet was associated with an improvement in a score of 'activities of daily living'."

Its method of action suggests that safinamide shares some common properties with rasagiline. So, I suspect that it's unlikely that both would be taken. Thus, the marginal benefit of safiamide is reduced for those already taking rasagiline. Safinamide, though, does seem to have some nice properties. According to Kulisevsky [3]:

"no major drug– drug interactions, no diet restrictions due to its higher MAO-B/MAO-A selectivity (1,000-fold more selective in humans for MAO-B compared with 127 for selegiline and 103 for rasagiline)."

References

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safinamide

[2] http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.co...067595.article

[3] http://www.touchneurology.com/articl...erapy/page/2/0

John