Tavapadon Treatment Improved Motor Function in Early Parkinson Disease
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Tavapadon treatment was associated with significantly improved motor symptoms vs placebo in adults with early Parkinson disease.
- Benefits were observed at both 5 mg and 15 mg once-daily doses over 26 weeks.
- Approximately 45% of participants treated with tavapadon reported improvement.
Treatment with tavapadon (AbbVie, North Chicago, IL), an investigational once-daily selective D1/D5 dopamine receptor agonist, was associated with significant improvements in motor symptoms in adults with early Parkinson disease (PD), according to results from the phase 3 TEMPO-1 randomized clinical trial (NCT04201093) published in JAMA Neurology .
The double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 529 adult participants with early PD (a disease duration of less than 3 years) who were treatment-naive or had minimal prior dopaminergic therapy. Participants were randomized to receive tavapadon 5 mg, tavapadon 15 mg, or placebo for 27 weeks. The primary end point was change in Movement Disorder Society–Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) parts II and III combined score at week 26.
Key results at week 26
- MDS-UPDRS II/III combined scores decreased by 9.7 points and 10.2 points in those treated with tavapadon 5 mg and 15 mg, respectively, vs a 1.8 point increase in the placebo group (treatment differences, -11.5 (5 mg) and -12.1 (15 mg); P<.001).
- Improvements were observed as wearly as week 5 and sustained throughout the study period.
- MDS-UPDRS II (activities of daily living) scores improved significantly vs placebo (treatment differences -2.5 (5 mg) and -2.6 (15 mg); P<.001)
- Approximately 45% of participants receiving tavapadon reported being “much improved” or “very much improved,” compared with 12.2% in the placebo group.
Adverse events were more common with tavapadon than placebo but were generally mild to moderate. The most frequently reported events included nausea, headache, and dizziness. Serious adverse events were infrequent, and discontinuations due to adverse events occurred more often during the dose-titration phase.
Source
Pahwa R, Moro E, Espay AJ, et al. Fixed-Dose Tavapadon for Early Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol. Published online March 20, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2026.0590