Restless Legs Syndrome News and Research

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Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move when at rest in an effort to relieve these feelings. RLS sensations are often described by people as burning, creeping, tugging, or like insects crawling inside the legs. Often called paresthesias (abnormal sensations) or dysesthesias (unpleasant abnormal sensations), the sensations range in severity from uncomfortable to irritating to painful.

The most distinctive or unusual aspect of the condition is that lying down and trying to relax activates the symptoms. As a result, most people with RLS have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Left untreated, the condition causes exhaustion and daytime fatigue. Many people with RLS report that their job, personal relations, and activities of daily living are strongly affected as a result of their exhaustion. They are often unable to concentrate, have impaired memory, or fail to accomplish daily tasks.

People with varicose veins should seek professional consultation

March is DVT Awareness Month and Vein Clinics of America encourages people with varicose veins, particularly those that have become painful and inflamed, to visit a vein specialist.

11 Mar 2010

Omeros obtains exclusive license to compounds from Asubio Pharma for use in its PDE7 program

Omeros Corporation today announced that it has obtained an exclusive license to compounds from Asubio Pharma Co., Ltd. for use in its PDE7 program, which is focused on the treatment of movement disorders.

9 Mar 2010

Positive interim results from NxStage Medical's FREEDOM study in RLS

NxStage Medical, Inc., a leading manufacturer of innovative dialysis products, today announced the latest interim results from its ongoing FREEDOM study, which show the significant improvement of overall sleep quality and marked improvement in Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) experienced by patients after four months of daily home hemodialysis therapy with the NxStage System One™.

8 Mar 2010

Varicose veins may signal potential dangerous blood clots

March is DVT Awareness Month and Vein Clinics of America encourages people with varicose veins, particularly those that have become painful and inflamed, to visit a vein specialist.

5 Mar 2010

Clot-busting drug therapy after stroke beneficial for women

New research shows women who don't receive a clot-busting drug after a stroke fare worse than men who are not treated. The study is published in the March 2, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Mar 2010

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals receives FDA approval for Mirapex ER in treatment of early PD

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Mirapex ER® (pramipexole dihydrochloride) extended-release tablets, a new once-daily treatment option for the signs and symptoms of early idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). MIRAPEX ER is not indicated in advanced PD. Parkinson's disease is a chronic, slowly progressive and potentially debilitating neurological condition affecting nearly one million people in the U.S., with one person newly diagnosed every nine minutes.

22 Feb 2010

Depomed receives final meeting minutes from FDA for pre-NDA meeting on DM-1796 for PHN

Depomed, Inc. today announced that it has received final meeting minutes from the FDA for a pre-NDA meeting related to DM-1796 for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) held in December 2009. Depomed also commented on recent public disclosures related to the Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding the New Drug Application (NDA) for Horizant™ (gabapentin enacarbil) Extended-Release Tablets.

19 Feb 2010

FDA issues Complete Response Letter for Horizant in treatment of RLS

GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort, Inc. Wednesday received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the New Drug Application (NDA) for Horizant™ (gabapentin enacarbil) Extended-Release Tablets, an investigational non-dopaminergic treatment for moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).

18 Feb 2010

Research findings highlight the vital need for better secondary stroke prevention

New research finds that one out of 12 people who have a stroke will likely soon have another stroke, and one out of four will likely die within one year. Researchers say the findings highlight the vital need for better secondary stroke prevention. The study is published in the February 16, 2010, issue of Neurology-, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Feb 2010

Memory loss or decline in thinking abilities may indicate higher risk of stroke

People who experience memory loss or a decline in their thinking abilities may be at higher risk of stroke, regardless of whether they have been diagnosed with dementia, according to a new study published in the February 2, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Feb 2010

Reducing DA dosage causes acute withdrawal symptoms in Parkinson's patients

New research has shown that reducing the dosage of dopamine agonist (DA) drugs, a mainstay treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), sometimes causes acute withdrawal symptoms similar to those reported by cocaine addicts -- including anxiety, panic attacks, depression, sweating, nausea, generalized pain, fatigue, dizziness and drug cravings. These symptoms can be severe, and are not alleviated by other PD medications.

12 Jan 2010

Erectile dysfunction linked to RLS in older men

A study in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that erectile dysfunction was more common in older men with restless leg syndrome (RLS) than in those without RLS, and the magnitude of this association increased with a higher frequency of RLS symptoms.

3 Jan 2010

Study: Men who do moderate-to-heavy intensity exercise are less likely to have stroke

Men who regularly take part in moderate-to-heavy intensity exercise such as jogging, tennis or swimming may be less likely to have a stroke than people who get no exercise or only light exercise, such as walking, golfing, or bowling, according to a study published in the November 24, 2009, print issue of Neurology ®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

24 Nov 2009

Astellas Pharma and XenoPort submit NDA in Japan for PMDA approval

Astellas Pharma Inc. and XenoPort, Inc. today announced that a new drug application (NDA) has been filed with the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Device Agency (PMDA) in Japan for ASP8825 (gabapentin enacarbil), also known as XP13512, as a potential treatment for restless legs syndrome (RLS).

19 Nov 2009

Children with autism may have lower quality handwriting, says study

Children with autism may have lower quality handwriting and trouble forming letters compared to children without autism, according to a study published in the November 10, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Nov 2009

FDA extends review date of New Drug Application for GSK1838262/XP13512

GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort, Inc. (Nasdaq: XNPT) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the original Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date for its review of the New Drug Application (NDA) for GSK1838262/XP13512 (gabapentin enacarbil) to February 9, 2010. The original PDUFA date for this NDA review was November 9, 2009.

7 Nov 2009

Neurogen announces financial results for the third quarter of 2009

Neurogen Corporation, a drug development company historically focused on drugs for psychiatric and neurological disorders, today announced financial and operating results for the quarter ended September 30, 2009.

6 Nov 2009

Caucasian women may suffer from RLS up to four times more than African-American women

New research shows that Caucasian women may suffer from restless legs syndrome (RLS), a sleep disorder characterized by the strong urge to move the legs, up to four times more than African-American women. The study, presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), found that, overall, non-African-American (NAA) patients experienced RLS four times more often than African-Americans (AA).

3 Nov 2009

Study: High protein levels are associated with heart attack and not stroke

People with high levels of a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation in the blood, may be at higher risk for heart attack and death but not stroke, according to a study published in the October 20, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Oct 2009

GSK reports positive Phase II results from trial evaluating GSK1838262 for post-herpetic neuralgia

GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort, Inc. today announced top-line results from a Phase II clinical trial evaluating GSK1838262/XP13512 (gabapentin enacarbil) in adult patients with neuropathic pain associated with post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) who have had a history of inadequate response to gabapentin doses of 1800 mg/day or higher.

5 Oct 2009