Living with Continuous Subcutaneous Infusion of Foslevodopa/Foscarbidopa for Symptom Management in Advanced Parkinson’s Disease: A Patient Experience Study
Michael Soileau1, Jason Aldred2, Zach Baldwin3, Connie Yan3, Triza Brion4, Alex Bellenger4, JeeHee Suh4, Megha Shah3, Pavnit Kukreja3, Maurizio Facheris5, Anand Shewale3, Rajeev Kumar6
1Texas Movement Disorder Specialists, PLLC, 2Selkirk Neurology, 3AbbVie Inc., 4ICON Plc, 5Abbvie Inc., 6Rocky Mountain Movement Disorders Center
Objective:
To understand people with advanced Parkinson’s Disease (aPD) experience, satisfaction, ease of use, and convenience with the foslevodopa/foscarbidopa (LDp/CDp) delivery system.
Background:
LDp/CDp is an external portable pump that delivers a 24-hour continuous subcutaneous infusion of levodopa/carbidopa for treatment of motor fluctuations in people with advanced Parkinson’s disease (PwaPD). Knowledge gaps exist around PwaPD’s perception of the delivery system preparation, administration, and carrying the pump.
Design/Methods:
This was a cross-sectional survey on adults with aPD who consented to semi-structured interviews while enrolled in a clinical trial with LDp/CDp (NCT04750226). Interviews were qualitatively analyzed using a content and thematic approach for aspects related to experiences with the novel treatment.
Results:
Concept saturation occurred after 19 interviews. Average (standard deviation) age, time since PD diagnosis, and time on LDp/CDp were 63.6 years (10.8), 9.3 years (3.3), and 15.4 months (3.4), respectively. Overall, 92% of respondents were satisfied with LDp/CDp. 89% of participants reported the benefits of LDp/CDp outweighed the negatives and would continue treatment if given the chance. All participants had personalized routines using reminders, alarms, or set schedules, with 63% reporting that it took 10 minutes or less to prepare and administer LDp/CDp. The majority (89%) of participants reported the pump was user friendly. Participants typically wore the pump crossbody using a personalized purse, in their pants pocket, or around their waist with the provided belt, with adjustments depending on activity. Most participants were comfortable wearing the pump in social environments. Overall, 74% of participants became accustomed to sleeping with the device, with most placing or strapping the pump close to their body.
Conclusions:
PwaPD had creative and effective strategies for using LDPp/CDp in their daily lives, including wearing the device during sleep or in social settings. Participants had an overall positive experience and acceptability of using the LDp/CDp delivery system for their aPD treatment.