Boehringer ingelheim • This drug is indicated for the symptomatic treatment of Parkinson’s disease . This drug can be administered as monotherapy or in conjunction with levodopa. It is also indicated for symptomatic treatment of moderate to severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) .
Pramipexole is a non-ergot dopamine agonist used to treat the signs and symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease and Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).
The exact mechanism of action of pramipexole as a treatment for Parkinson's disease is unknown at this time. It is thought, however, that the ability of pramipexole to cause stimulation of the dopamine receptors in the striatum of the brain, a region that receives a vast array of neurological input and is responsible for a wide variety of functions, may be involved. Studies performed in animals show that pramipexole influences striatal neuronal transmission rates following activation of dopamine receptors . Pramipexole is considered a non-ergot dopamine agonist that shows specificity and strong activity at the D2 subfamily of dopamine receptors in vitro, binding selectively and dopamine D2 receptors and showing a preference for the dopamine D3 receptor subtype rather than other subtypes . The clinical significance of this binding specificity is unknown , .
