Details

What is Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) for?

Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) is a dopamine agonist indicated to treat:

It is available in as a transdermal system (patch) that you stick on your skin that comes in six dosing strengths for PD: 1 mg, 2 mg, 3 mg, 4 mg, 6 mg, and 8 mg.

How does Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) work?

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition that affects brain nerve cells that produce dopamine. Dopamine is an important signaling molecule that controls movement. Loss of dopamine-producing cells leads to a lack in dopamine in the brain, which leads to the symptoms of PD, including tremors, stiffness and slowness.

The active ingredient in Neupro, rotigotine, is a dopamine agonist, which means that it mimics the action of dopamine. The patch delivers a constant supply of rotigotine through the skin into the bloodstream.

The patch allows patients to control their movement and to have fewer of the signs and symptoms of PD disease, such as stiffness and slowness of movement. The exact way rotigotine treats PD and RLS is not fully understood. It is believed that rotigotine stimulates dopamine receptors in the brain.

Where has Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) been approved?

Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) was approved by:

Please note that this medicine may have also been approved in other regions than the ones we’ve listed. If you have a question about its approval in a specific country feel free to contact our support team.

How is Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) taken?

The standard dosage is:

The strength of patch to use at the start of treatment depends on the type and stage of the disease being treated. The dose can then be increased every week until an effective dose is reached. It may take several weeks before you reach the dose that controls your symptoms best.

Apply the patch one time each day at the same time each day on a dry, clean, healthy skin on the abdomen (tummy), thigh, hip, side, shoulder or upper arm. Leave the patch on the skin for 24 hours, replace it by a new one in a different place. The same place must not be used again until two weeks later.

Complete information about Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) dosage and administration can be found in the official prescribing information listed in our references section.

Note: Please consult with your treating doctor for personalised dosing.

Are there any known adverse reactions or side effects of Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system)?

Common adverse reactions

The most common side effects ( ≥5% of patients) for the highest recommended doses for treatment of PD listed in the prescribing information include:

The most common side effects ( ≥5% of patients) for the highest recommended doses for treatment of RLS listed in the prescribing information include:

Serious adverse reactions

The serious adverse reactions listed in the prescribing information include:

Use in a specific population

Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) can be fatal for a fetus, it is advised to avoid pregnancies and breastfeeding.

For a comprehensive list of side effects and adverse reactions please refer to the official prescribing information.

References

Clinical trials

Parkinson’s Disease

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) for treatment of people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) was based on data of five parallel group, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trials.

These studies, which involved a total of 830 patients with early-stage disease and 842 patients with advanced disease compared rotigotine with placebo. Two of these studies also compared Neupro with other dopamine agonists (ropinirole in early-stage disease and pramipexole in advanced disease).

Patients underwent a weekly stepwise increase of rotigotine in 2 mg/24 hours steps to either the randomized dose or optimal dose. Stepwise reductions by 2 mg/24 hours of Neupro were permitted for intolerable adverse events.

Results

The main efficacy outcome of the studies in early-stage disease was the number of patients who had at least a 20% improvement in symptoms, as measured with a standard symptom questionnaire, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), parts II + III.

Rotigotine was more effective than placebo in treating PD. In early-stage disease, 48 to 52% of the patients using rotigotine had an improvement in symptoms, compared with 19 to 30% of those using placebo.

Rotigotine was less effective than ropinirole: an improvement was seen in 70% of the patients receiving ropinirole.3

The main efficacy outcome of the studies in advanced disease was the length of time during the day that the patients recorded as ‘off’ (when they had too many Parkinson’s disease symptoms to be able to live normally).

In advanced Parkinson’s disease, patients using rotigotine had a greater decrease in their ‘off’ time than those taking placebo.

The decrease was 2.1 to 2.7 h with rotigotine compared with 0.9 h with placebo). The decrease seen with rotigotine was similar to that seen with pramipexole (2.8 h).

Two smaller studies comparing rotigotine with ropinirole were completed after the medicine’s authorisation. Data showed that the effectiveness of rotigotine was found to be comparable with ropinirole.

Restless Legs Syndrome

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) for treatment of people with restless legs syndrome (RLS) was based on data of two fixed-dose, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.

The studies, which involved a total of 963 patients with moderate to severe restless-legs syndrome, compared rotigotine with placebo. Patients were treated for 6 months.

Results

The main efficacy outcome was the change in symptoms after six months of treatment with a stable dose, measured using two standard scales: the International RLS Rating Scale (IRLS Scale) and a Clinical Global Impression - Improvement (CGI-I) assessment.

In restless-legs syndrome, patients using doses of Neupro between 1 and 3 mg/24 h had a greater improvement than those using placebo in the two studies, as measured on both symptom scales.

Please refer to the summary of product characteristics below and in the resource section for comprehensive information about the safety and effectiveness of Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) for the approved indication.

References

Price & Costs

Neupro (rotigotine) price in other currencies*

Package	Euro	Australian dollars	Canadian dollar	New Zealand dollar	Nigerian naira	Singapore dollar	Pound sterling	United States dollar
single-dose vial x 350 mg/20 mL (17.5 mg/mL)	1738 EUR	2869 AUD	2593 CAD	3156 NZD	2887459 NGN	2455 SGD	1432 GBP	1830 USD
28 transdermal systems 2 mg/24 h	324 EUR	536 AUD	484 CAD	590 NZD	539788 NGN	458 SGD	267 GBP	342 USD
84 transdermal systems 1 mg/24 h	630 EUR	1041 AUD	941 CAD	1145 NZD	1047663 NGN	890 SGD	519 GBP	664 USD
84 transdermal systems 2 mg/24 h	743 EUR	1227 AUD	1109 CAD	1350 NZD	1235284 NGN	1050 SGD	613 GBP	783 USD
84 transdermal systems 3 mg/24 h	855 EUR	1412 AUD	1276 CAD	1553 NZD	1421012 NGN	1208 SGD	705 GBP	900 USD
84 transdermal systems 4 mg/24 h	968 EUR	1598 AUD	1444 CAD	1758 NZD	1608599 NGN	1367 SGD	798 GBP	1019 USD
84 transdermal systems 6 mg/24 h	1062 EUR	1753 AUD	1584 CAD	1929 NZD	1764457 NGN	1500 SGD	875 GBP	1118 USD
84 transdermal systems 8 mg/24 h	1201 EUR	1984 AUD	1793 CAD	2183 NZD	1996699 NGN	1697 SGD	990 GBP	1265 USD

*The prices listed above are based on the cheapest package size and strength everyone.org has access to. Please make an enquiry for more specific pricing. The prices listed above are a guide only, we operate in Euros.

Neupro (rotigotine) treatment costs

The cost for a monthly or yearly treatment of Neupro (rotigotine) depends on your prescription requirements which includes the dosage in mg and medicine type (Transdermal systems).

The price of the medicines you see on sale is the cost set by the manufacturer. In addition, shipping costs and a Named Patient support fee will apply.

Make an enquiry and we will help you calculate the total price to buy Neupro (rotigotine) online and have it delivered where you live. From your side, we’ll simply need a prescription from your treating doctor. In some countries we might also need an import license. Our Patient Support team will guide you throughout the process.

Neupro (rotigotine) price and additional costs

Neupro (rotigotine) reimbursement

It might be possible for you to claim the cost of Neupro (rotigotine) via your country's healthcare system. Some countries have a government fund providing financial assistance for citizens to access lifesaving medical treatment abroad. The best thing would be to check with your country's own health ministry. We also highly recommend checking out local patient blogs, communities and patient organisations to find out more about your options.

Medical insurance

Generally, we do not support medical insurance, but we do provide you with an invoice after you make the payment that you may send to your medical insurance company so they can reimburse you. In some limited circumstances, we do accept insurance. Contact us for more details. You can pay by bank transfer or credit card.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding might also be an option for you. It is a means of raising funds by using an online platform to group together many small donations from friends, family and others, in order to help you afford medical treatment. Here are some crowdfunding platforms where you can seek support: GoFundMe, GiveForward, FundRazr and Watsi.

Shipping

Room temperature shipping

For this medication, standard shipping applies. This means that a consistent room temperature of 15 to 25°C is maintained during transit.

Your order will be shipped to you by our partner couriers, such as DHL, UPS and specialised cold chain couriers. If you would like your order to be shipped by a specific courier, please inform us when you place the order.

Our standard delivery time varies from 5 to 10 working days.

The shipping cost depends on the medicine and the destination country. After making an enquiry, you will receive a detailed quote that includes the shipping costs.

You can also pick up your medicine from our partner pharmacy in Amsterdam or our partner pharmacy in Luxembourg after the order has been paid for.

Our Process

Four steps to access the medicines you need

How and where to access and buy Neupro: You can access Neupro from everyone.org if the drug has not been approved or is not available in your country.