People with Huntington’s disease are more likely to take Austedo (deutetrabenazine) as directed, compared with the similar medication Xenazine (tetrabenazine), according to a new study. The study also found lower discontinuation rates with Austedo, which may suggest that, between these two treatments for chorea, Austedo tends to…

Huntington’s patients who are taking Xenazine for the twitching condition known as chorea can switch without concern to the newly approved Austedo, according to Austedo’s maker, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. A Phase 3 clinical trial showed that the switch was safe and that Austedo (deutetrabenazine) did a better job of controlling chorea than…

Cariprazine, an oral medication approved for schizophrenia, may ease some motor symptoms people with Huntington’s disease experience across different stages of the condition, a small study suggests. How cariprazine works in Huntington’s still isn’t clear, but researchers think it may balance out dopamine levels when they’re too high, as…

Note: This column describes the experiences of the author’s father with tetrabenazine (often known by its brand name, Xenazine). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. My dad, who had Huntington’s disease, was moved…

A four-week titration kit for starting on Austedo (deutetrabenazine) — an approved therapy for chorea, or involuntary muscle contractions, due to Huntington’s disease — has so far been well-received by patients in a Phase 4 clinical trial. Titration, in medicine, means starting a drug at a low dose…

Today, Oct. 11, is my 37th birthday. Where does the time go? In my last column, I wrote about my lengthy journey since my mom was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease (HD) in 1995. As I sit back and reflect, I realize how much my own genetic test…

The recent approval in the U.S. of Ingrezza (valbenazine) for adults with Huntington’s disease-associated chorea means patients now have access to a treatment option that’s likely easier to take, according to the chief medical officer of Neurocrine Biosciences, the therapy’s maker. “Ingrezza is always one capsule,…

Long-term treatment with Austedo (deutetrabenazine) safely led to sustained reductions in chorea for people with Huntington’s disease, including those who had switched from treatment with Xenazine (tetrabenazine). That’s according to about three years of follow-up data in the Phase 3 ARC-HD trial (NCT01897896), a study jointly conducted…