The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved deutetrabenazine, trade name Austedo, for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia in adults. Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive involuntary movements usually associated with lower facial and distal extremity musculature. Common signs include tongue protrusion, writhing of tongue, lip smacking, chewing, blinking, and grimacing. Dyskinesia can occur spontaneously but can also be drug-induced, notably by the dopamine 2 receptor blocking agents. Deutetrabenazine is a selective inhibitor of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), which packages monoamines, including dopamine, into synaptic vesicles of presynaptic neurons in the central nervous system. Deutetrabenazine was previously approved for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease in April 2017.
Teva Press Release
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