Tasigna Is Being Repurposed To Treat Parkinson's Disease

Tasigna's severe side effects are a fast-fading memory as Novartis promotes Tasigna in every possible market

Thursday, March 14, 2019 - Drug repurposing is a strategy of taking a particular drug previously known to treat only a particular disease and testing the drug's effectiveness in treating other rare diseases. As simple as this sounds drug repurposing is a complex undertaking. Only around 400 serious yet rare diseases have a known treatment out of the more than 7000 possibilities. When all of the traditional possibilities for treatment are exhausted a drug may be considered as an alternative treatment for conditions that seem hopeless.

There is no refuting the effectiveness of Tasigna in fighting cases of Philidelphia positive chronic myeloid leukemia and sales of Tasigna have never been better. Success in fighting cancer has now brought Tasigna, the brand name for nilotinib manufactured by the Swiss company Novartis AG, to the attention of researchers from the Georgetown University Medical Center who are looking to fight Parkinson's disease. A recent study of 75 Parkinson's patients turned in encouraging results showing that Tasigna could reduce the levels of toxic alpha-synuclein protein thought to be the major contributor to Parkinson's. According to Parkinsons News Today, "Tasigna (nilotinib) showed the potential to reduce levels of the protein alpha-synuclein, which is believed to contribute to the destruction of brain nerve cells in Parkinson's disease." In addition, the study reported increased levels of dopamine in certain patients which could lead to inhibiting the disease's progression.

Tasigna continues to thrive in the medical research community in spite of the drug's severe and life-threatening side effects. Last year the FDA granted Novartis' request to re-label Tasigna to include the feature that certain cancer patients could discontinue taking the drug if so instructed by their oncologist. Later the FDA agreed that doctors were free to prescribe Tasigna to treat certain children suffering from terminal CML as early as one year of age. All of the above uses and features of Tasigna fail to take the serious, life-threatening consequences of the drug into consideration. Atherosclerosis and peripheral artery disease are known and serious adverse side effects of Tasigna that for many are much worse than the disease itself. Tasigna Atherosclerosis lawsuits represented by top national Tasigna attorneys are available for a free consultation to families and persons harmed by Tasigna.

Tasigna.com reports that up to 11% of patients given Tasigna developed the peripheral arterial occlusive disease (POAD). POAD develops in the leg when the major artery becomes clogged causing aching pain. When plaque accumulates due to the normally smooth arterial lining becoming chafed by Tasigna's toxicity, fatty plaque sticks and rapidly accumulates reducing blood flow to the feet and toes. As a result, necrotizing fasciitis or tissue death can occur and the only treatment is amputation. POAD can be detected by using an angiogram. Pain may only occur as a result of physical activity and diminish thereafter. According to Harvard University Health, "Peripheral artery disease can cause kidneys to fail. Severe PAD can lead to foot or leg amputation. And because of the atherosclerosis connection, many people with PAD die from a heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest, or stroke." In 2013 Novartis issued an emergency health warning to Health Canada alerting the medical community that Tasigna patients were developing atherosclerosis-related conditions at an alarming rate and that precautions should be taken in prescribing the drug to patients with a history of cardiovascular issues.

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