Istradefylline, an adenosine A2A receptor antagonist, for patients with Parkinson's Disease: A meta-analysis

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of istradefylline as an adjunct to levodopa in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD). Methods: In this study, we searched the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, China Academic Journal Full-text Database (CNKI), China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP), and Wanfang Database. The quality of included studies was strictly evaluated. Data analyses were performed by the Cochrane Collaboration's RevMan5.0 software. Results: Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. The result showed a significant reduction of the awake time per day spent in the OFF state and improvement of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part III in the ON state when receiving istradefylline compared with patients receiving placebo. There was no significant difference between the istradefylline 20 mg and the istradefylline 40 mg groups in the UPDRS Part III in the ON state (WMD = 1.27, 95% CI [-0.40, 2.95]). The results showed significant differences in dyskinesia (RR = 1.63, 95% CI [1.16, 2.29]) compared to istradefylline 40 mg with placebo. There was no significant statistical difference with regard to other adverse events. Conclusions: The present study showed that istradefylline is safe and effective as an adjunct to levodopa in patients with PD. Future large-scale, higher-quality, long-treatment, and placebo-controlled trials are needed. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.