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(AP) - WASHINGTON-The treatment options for patients with early Parkinson's expanded Wednesday with the approval of a new drug in patch form - a first for medicines to treat symptoms of the disease.

The once-daily Neupro patch contains a drug called rotigotine, which has not been sold before in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration said. The drug patch, made by Schwarz Pharma AG, is the first for the treatment of symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease results from the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Dopamine is crucial for the communication between cells that control muscle movement, which explains the trembling commonly seen in Parkinson's patients....

The original article can be found at: http://news.findlaw.com/ap/f/66/05-09-2007/d0e1000de53525fa.html

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what we said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

This article discusses a new drug on the market (in the US) that states it "is the first for the treatment of symptoms of Parkinson's disease" by "activating dopamine receptors in the brain."

The article does well to go into detail concerning possible side effects and other safety concerns that users may experience such as dizziness, insomnia and hallucinations. It also states very clearly the novelty of this treatment since it is the first of it's kind.

However, this article lacks many details on the studies done concerning this drug's approval, and therefore it is not clear as to what evidence there is regarding this drug's effectiveness. Also left unclear are other possible treatment options for people suffering from this condition which begs the question: are there any?

It seems that despite vital information being missing, the article continues to make the claim that this drug is useful to the public due to the fact that "an estimated one million people in the United States have Parkinson's."

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