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CARE PARTNER AREA
APOKYN ® Reverses Motor Symptoms of Off Episodes Within 20 Minutes
APOKYN belongs to a class of drugs called dopamine agonists. These drugs simulate the actions of dopamine in the brain, reducing the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD).
Patients in Europe have been using apomorphine hydrochloride injection since 1993. The medicine was approved for use in the United States as APOKYN in 2004. It is used "as needed"* to treat off-episode motor symptoms in people with advancing PD. APOKYN can be used up to 5 times per day.
When injected during an off episode, APOKYN may enable people with PD to walk, talk, and move around more easily. APOKYN works quickly—within 20 minutes.
APOKYN is used to reverse off-episode motor symptoms when they occur. APOKYN should be used in addition to oral PD medicines and does not replace them.
How Effective Is APOKYN?
How Is APOKYN Used?
Is APOKYN Right for the Person in Your Care?
APOKYN Safety
How Is APOKYN Supplied?
APOKYN Circle of Care™
How Effective Is APOKYN?
An effective dose of APOKYN should produce a response that is about equal to what the person in your care experiences with his or her usual dose of levodopa.
To determine the effectiveness of APOKYN, researchers conducted a study of patients with advancing PD who were experiencing off episodes despite taking their oral PD medicines.
Patients who took APOKYN at home reported that it successfully reversed 95% of off episodes over a 4‑week period.
In another clinical study, researchers used a standard movement scale to measure the ability of APOKYN to improve movement.
Patients taking APOKYN experienced significantly improved movement within 20 minutes.
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How Is APOKYN Used?
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| The APOKYN pen uses a very thin 29-gauge needle similar to that used by many patients with diabetes who require insulin injections. APOKYN must be injected just under the skin, not into a vein. |
APOKYN is a prescription, injectable medicine that is used to treat off-episode motor symptoms as needed* in people with advancing PD. In clinical studies, patients used APOKYN 3 times per day on average. If needed, APOKYN can be used up to 5 times per day.
APOKYN must be injected just under the skin, not into a vein. For added safety and convenience, APOKYN is self-administered with the APOKYN pen. The APOKYN pen uses a very thin 29-gauge needle similar to that used by many patients with diabetes who require insulin injections (see the photo).
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Is APOKYN Right for the Person in Your Care?
Only a healthcare professional can determine whether APOKYN is right for the person in your care.
To start a conversation with a healthcare professional, ask the person in your care the following questions:
- Do you ever have off episodes? If so, how often?
- Have your oral PD medicines been adjusted to control off episodes? Was it effective?
- Have you changed plans or stopped doing something you wanted to do because you thought you might have an off episode?
- If you have off episodes, can you predict when they are likely to occur, or do they occur unexpectedly?
- In the morning, how long does your first dose of levodopa take to kick in?
- Are there times during the day you feel your medicines are wearing off, or not working as well?
Be sure to share the answers with a healthcare professional.
If the healthcare professional determines that APOKYN is right for the person in your care, he or she will schedule an appointment to start APOKYN therapy.
To sign up to receive more information about APOKYN and a free APOKYN Patient Information Kit, click here.
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APOKYN Safety
You should not take APOKYN if you are allergic to APOKYN or its ingredients, notably the sulfite called metabisulfite. Do not take APOKYN if you are being treated with certain drugs called 5HT3 antagonists (such as Anzemet®,† Kytril®,‡ and Zofran®§) that are used for nausea and vomiting or irritable bowel syndrome. People taking this type of drug with apomorphine had severely low blood pressure and "blacked out."
APOKYN must be injected just under the skin and not into a vein.
Your doctor may prescribe a medicine called Tigan®¶ to help prevent nausea and vomiting. Some patients can stop taking Tigan after using APOKYN for some time. Some patients may need to continue taking Tigan to help prevent nausea and vomiting. Talk to your doctor before you stop taking Tigan.
If you experience shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, or chest pain while taking APOKYN, you should call a doctor right away.
APOKYN may lower blood pressure and cause dizziness and fainting, especially when starting treatment or if the dose is increased. Patients should not get up too fast from sitting or after lying down to minimize these problems.
Some patients taking APOKYN may get sleepy during the day or fall asleep without warning doing everyday activities. Until it is known how APOKYN affects your ability to stay alert, you should not drive a car or operate machinery.
Some patients may notice soreness, redness, bruising, or itching at the injection site. Changing the injection site with each injection and putting ice on the site before and after the injection may help lessen these effects.
The most common side effects seen in clinical studies with APOKYN were: yawning; sudden uncontrolled movements; nausea and/or vomiting; sleepiness; dizziness; runny nose; seeing and hearing things that are not real; swelling of hands, arms, legs, and feet; chest pain; increased sweating; flushing; and unusually pale complexion.
Please see full Prescribing Information.
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How Is APOKYN Supplied?
A specialty pharmacy provider (SPP) will supply the APOKYN, as well as the APOKYN pen and accessories needed to use this medicine. SPPs also offer a variety of support services to make APOKYN treatment as effective as possible.
APOKYN Circle of Care
The APOKYN Circle of Care is a unique program designed to assist patients and care partners in the use of APOKYN for the treatment of off-episode motor symptoms associated with advancing PD.
The APOKYN Circle of Care offers patients and care partners:
- APOKYN Call Center
- 1-877-7APOKYN (1-877-727-6596)
- A convenient source of information about APOKYN and the use of the APOKYN pen
- Home Healthcare Visits
- One-on-one visits by specially trained nurses
- Home Healthcare is available at no cost to all APOKYN patients whose healthcare professionals request the service for them
- APOKYN Circle of Care Member Support
- Follow-up phone calls from APOKYN Call Center nurses who will:
- Address any questions and concerns that you might have
- Provide support to help you with APOKYN therapy
- Information and materials designed to:
- Help the person in your care get the most from APOKYN therapy
- Help the person in your care manage PD
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To return to the "About APOKYN" page, click here.
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| 90% of patients achieved a therapeutic response within 20 minutes that was approximately equivalent to their usual response to levodopa (n=20). APOKYN is used as needed to treat off-episode motor symptoms, including muscle stiffness, slow movements, and difficulty starting movements, associated with advanced PD. |
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