Pimavanserin increases mortality in elderly with Parkinson's disease: Study

According to a new study published in the Journal Neurology, older persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) who used pimavanserin had an increased risk of hospitalization and death at particular time points after initiation compared to nonusers.

This study validates the prior concerns regarding use of pimavanserin and the risks it brings when chosen to use it in case of Parkinson's disease (PD). It also stated the association of typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs with increased death rate in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.

From November 1, 2015 to December 31, 2018, Hwang and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort analysis to examine the risk of hospitalization and mortality associated with pimavanserin usage among individuals 65 years and older with Parkinson's disease (PD) .The data was obtained via an administrative dataset on residents of Medicare-certified long-term care facilities and linked Medicare claims data.

The goal of this research was to assess the hazards of pimavanserin [Nuplazid, Acadia Pharmaceuticals], a new antipsychotic licensed for Parkinson's disease psychosis.

The researchers discovered a link between pimavanserin usage and a greater probability of 30-day hospitalisation when compared to non-users. They found no link between pimavanserin usage and 90-day hospitalisation or 30-day death. But they did find a link between pimavanserin use and higher 90-day mortality that lasted for 180 days and a year.

In conclusion, the authors say that Pimavanserin use vs. nonuse in older adults was associated with an increased risk of hospitalization at one month of initiation and a higher risk of death for up to one year following initiation.

The findings of the study might help in taking better decisions with respect to choosing pharmacotherapy for Parkinson's disease (PD) .

Source

Hwang, Y. J., Alexander, G. C., An, H., Moore, T. J., & Mehta, H. B. (2021). Risk of Hospitalization and Death Associated With Pimavanserin Use in Older Adults With Parkinson Disease. Neurology, 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012601. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000012601