NEUPRO® (rotigotine transdermal system) is a prescription medicine used to treat Parkinson’s disease.

The NEUPRO Patch 

What is NEUPRO?

Your once-daily partner to help control Parkinson's disease

NEUPRO® (rotigotine transdermal system) is the first and only Parkinson's "patch" you wear on your skin. The NEUPRO Patch delivers the dopamine agonist rotigotine through the skin, directly into the bloodstream. It releases the medicine 24 hours a day, providing stable, continuous delivery of medication.

NEUPRO is a small, thin, flesh-colored patch that comes in 4 dosing strengths for Parkinson's disease (PD): 2 mg, 4 mg, 6 mg, and 8 mg.

It is believed that dopamine agonists work by stimulating dopamine receptors in the brain; however, the exact way NEUPRO treats PD is unknown.

If you're considering taking medicine for the first time to help control your Parkinson's symptoms, or if you're currently taking medicine and still experiencing symptoms, ask your doctor if NEUPRO could be an option for you. Just as you're determined to face the challenges before you, now you have a once-daily partner, NEUPRO, to help you manage your symptoms.

Do not use NEUPRO if you are allergic to rotigotine or any of the other ingredients in the patch.

For detailed safety information on the NEUPRO Patch, see safety and side effects.

Applying the NEUPRO® (rotigotine transdermal system) patch

Why NEUPRO?

NEUPRO is proven to help control the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

NEUPRO may be the first medication your doctor has prescribed for you. Or your doctor may be making a change because you've reached a point where your symptom control isn't what it used to be. Or you may feel your medication isn't helping enough. This is when an honest conversation with your doctor becomes so important to decide if the NEUPRO Patch is right for you.

With NEUPRO, It's ON in so many ways, because:

  • In clinical trials, early-stage PD patients taking NEUPRO saw improvement in their Parkinson's symptoms, measured by a combination of motor function and activities of daily living.
    • Motor function can include tremors, stiffness, slowness, and problems with balance.
    • Activities of daily living include eating, dressing, and walking.
  • In clinical trials, patients with advanced PD who added NEUPRO to their existing medication had almost 2 hours less "off" time—and nearly 2.5 hours more "on" time—than patients taking a placebo.
    • More than twice as many PD patients taking NEUPRO woke up "on" before taking morning medication, compared to those taking placebo.
  • The most common side effects in people taking NEUPRO for Parkinson's disease are nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, application site reactions, dizziness, loss of appetite, difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, increased sweating, vision problems, leg swelling, and uncontrolled, sudden movements of the arms or legs.
  • Medicine is delivered consistently 24 hours a day.

Effective alone, or when taken with LEVODOPA

The NEUPRO Patch is proven to provide effective symptom relief for people with early- or advanced-stage Parkinson's disease. NEUPRO can be prescribed on its own, or it can be added to levodopa therapy, if your doctor thinks it is appropriate.

NEUPRO may cause uncontrolled, sudden movements or make such movements you already have worse or more frequent if you have Parkinson's disease, which may mean that your anti-Parkinson's medicine needs to be changed.

Why a patch may be right for you

  • NEUPRO provides stable, continuous delivery, 24 hours a day, so you get a consistent level of medication throughout the day.
  • The NEUPRO Patch offers once-daily dosing. Simply choose the time of day that works best for you and apply the patch at the same time each day.
  • The medication in the NEUPRO Patch does not go through your digestive system.
    • Food won't interfere with how it works
    • No pills to swallow
    • No need to schedule NEUPRO around meals
    • The medication in NEUPRO will not be affected by the digestive tract

NEUPRO can cause nausea, vomiting, indigestion, or upset stomach, which may occur more frequently when you first start using the patch.

Skin reactions may occur at the site where you apply NEUPRO. Tell your doctor if you get a rash, redness, swelling, or itching that will not go away.

For detailed safety information on the NEUPRO Patch, see NEUPRO safety and side effects.

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Indication

NEUPRO is a prescription medicine used to treat Parkinson's disease.

Important Safety Information

NEUPRO contains a sulfite called sodium metabisulfite. Sulfites can cause severe allergic reactions that are life threatening to some people who are sensitive to sulfites. People with asthma are more sensitive to sulfites. Remove the patch right away and call your doctor if you have swelling of the lips or tongue, chest pain, or trouble breathing or swallowing.

NEUPRO may make you fall asleep suddenly or without warning while doing normal activities, such as driving, which may result in accidents. Tell your doctor right away if this happens. Drinking alcohol or taking other medicines that cause drowsiness may increase your chances of becoming sleepy while using NEUPRO. Do not drive, use hazardous machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how NEUPRO affects you.

NEUPRO can cause or worsen psychotic symptoms including hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not real), confusion, excessive suspicion, aggressive behavior, agitation, delusional beliefs (believing things that are not real), and disorganized thinking. The chances of having hallucinations or these other psychotic-like changes are higher in people with Parkinson's disease who are elderly, taking NEUPRO, or taking higher doses of NEUPRO. If you have any of these problems, talk to your doctor.

NEUPRO can cause decreases in blood pressure, especially when you start or increase your dose. Increases in blood pressure and heart rate, fainting, weight gain, and fluid retention also can occur. If you faint or feel dizzy, nauseated, or sweaty when you stand up from sitting or lying down, or have an unusually fast increase in weight, swelling, or fluid retention, especially in the ankles or legs, tell your doctor.

Some patients using NEUPRO get urges to behave in a way that is unusual for them, such as unusual urges to gamble, strong urges to spend money, binge eating, or increased sexual urges and behaviors. Some patients may want to use more NEUPRO than prescribed for their symptoms (dopamine dysregulation syndrome). If you or your family notices you are developing any unusual behaviors, talk to your doctor.

NEUPRO may cause uncontrolled, sudden movements or make such movements you already have worse or more frequent if you have Parkinson's disease, which may mean that your anti-Parkinson's medicine needs to be changed.

Skin reactions may occur at the site where you apply NEUPRO. Tell your doctor if you get a rash, redness, swelling, or itching that will not go away.

Avoid exposing the NEUPRO patch you are wearing to heating pads, electric blankets, heat lamps, saunas, hot tubs, heated water beds, and direct sunlight. Too much medicine could be absorbed into your body. Also, do not wear NEUPRO during medical procedures called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or cardioversion because this could cause skin burns.

Do not stop using NEUPRO without talking to your doctor first. If your doctor tells you to stop using NEUPRO, you should ask your doctor for specific instructions on how to slowly and safely discontinue using NEUPRO. If you stop using NEUPRO, you may have withdrawal symptoms such as fever, confusion, severe muscle stiffness, feeling like you do not care about the things you usually care about (apathy), anxiety, depression, fatigue, insomnia, sweating and pain.

Tell your doctor if you have breathing problems, a sleep disorder, mental problems, high or low blood pressure, or heart problems; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant; or are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. NEUPRO may not be right for you.

The most common side effects in people taking NEUPRO for Parkinson's disease are nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, application site reactions, dizziness, loss of appetite, difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, increased sweating, vision problems, leg swelling, and uncontrolled, sudden movements of the arms or legs.

These are not all the possible side effects of NEUPRO. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to UCB, Inc. at ucbCARES® (1-844-599-2273).

Please see additional Patient Information about the NEUPRO Patch. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your condition or treatment.