Austedo (deutetrabenazine) starts working within two weeks, according to results of phase III clinical trials, which were conducted in patients with chorea associated with Huntington’s disease and tardive dyskinesia.
During the dose titration phase of these trials a continuous improvement in symptoms was observed. During the dose titration phase of these trials the dose of Austedo was optimized over six-to-eight weeks, or the dose of Austedo was titrated up over four weeks until the maximum dose the patient was assigned to receive was achieved.
How quickly does Austedo work in Huntington’s disease?
Improvements in Total Maximal Chorea (TMC) scores were observed by week 2 of a 12-week trial conducted in 90 patients with Huntington’s disease who received either Austedo or placebo.
During the first eight weeks of the trial the dose of Austedo was adjusted until chorea symptoms were satisfactorily treated and then a maintenance dose of the drug was given for the remaining four weeks.
Improvements in TMC scores were observed week-on-week during the first eight weeks. One week after treatment with Austeo was stopped (week 13), TMC scores had returned to what they were at the beginning of the study.
How quickly does Austedo work in Tardive Dyskinesia?
Improvements in Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) scores were observed by week 2 of two 12-weeks trials, which enrolled more than 300 patients with tardive dyskinesia who received either Austedo or placebo.
During the first four-to-six weeks of these trials the dose of Asutedo was adjusted until adequate dyskinesia control was achieved or the patient reached the maximum dose of Austedo they were randomly assigned to receive. A maintenance dose of the drug was given for the remainder of the trial.
Ongoing improvements in AIMS scores were observed in patients treated with Austedo over the 12-week course of the trials.
A significant reduction in the symptoms of tardive dyskinesia was observed in patients treated with Austedo 24 mg/day and 36 mg/day, but not 12 mg/day, in one of the phase III trials. A significant reduction in abnormal movements was also observed in the other phase III trial in which the mean daily dose of Austedo during the maintenance phase of the trial was about 38 mg/day.