Safety and efficacy of rotigotine transdermal patch in patients with restless legs syndrome: a post-hoc analysis of patients taking 1 – 3 mg/24 h for up to 5 years

Abstract

Objective: This post-hoc analysis of a prospective open-label study investigated patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) taking approved dosages (1, 2 or 3 mg/24 h) of rotigotine transdermal patch for up to 5 years.

Research design and methods: Following 6 weeks' double-blind treatment, patients with moderate-to-severe RLS received open-label rotigotine titrated to optimal dosage.

Main outcome measures: Safety was assessed by adverse events (AEs) and efficacy was assessed by the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group Rating Scale (IRLS).

Results: Of 295 patients who entered the open-label study, 198 (67%) began the maintenance period taking rotigotine dosages of 1 – 3 mg/24 h, or increased their dosage from 0.5 mg in the first 3 months of the maintenance period. Of the 198 patients, 45 patients (23%) completed 5 years of follow-up within this dosage range, 79 patients (40%) had their dosage adjusted outside this range during follow-up and 74 patients (37%) withdrew (including 49 [25%] due to AEs and 6 [3%)] for lack of efficacy). Application site reactions were the most common AEs (102 of 198 patients [52%]), with an incidence of 35% (69 of 198) in year 1, 19% (19 of 102) in year 2, and 4 – 6% during each of years 3 – 5. Mean IRLS total score decreased from 27.1 ± 6.0 at double-blind baseline to 6.5 ± 6.5 at the beginning of maintenance, and to 7.4 ± 8.4 after 5 years' treatment on 1 – 3 mg/24 h (n = 45); 21 patients (47%) were classified as symptom-free (IRLS = 0).

Conclusions: Consistent with the results for the overall population, rotigotine transdermal patch at approved dosages of 1 – 3 mg/24 h was generally well tolerated after the first year, with sustained efficacy in patients who completed 5 years of treatment at dosages of 1 – 3 mg/24 h.

Keywords::

• dopamine receptor agonists
• restless legs syndrome
• transdermal patch

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by UCB Pharma, Brussels, Belgium. Writing and editorial assistance was provided by Steve Dobson (Evidence Scientific Solutions, Horsham, UK) and was contracted by UCB Pharma, Brussels, Belgium. Publication coordination was provided by Ging-Ging Li (Global Publications Manager, Movement and Sleep Disorders, UCB Pharma, Brussels, Belgium). This trial is registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov; identifier: NCT00498186.

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