Apo Pen, Apo Pump offer new lease of life for Parkinson's patients in India
Chennai: Tremours and unsupported gait should not be a bother to Parkinson’s patients, as a path-breaking treatment developed at the King’s College Hospital London, can rid the problem within 6 minutes of administering the injection, says India-born Dr. Vinod Metta, Consultant Interventional Neurologist & Movement Disorders Specialist, King’s College and Imperial Hospitals, London, who has been part of the medical team that researched the breakthrough. “I would say the Apo Pen and Apo Pump offers a new lease of life for Parkinson’s patients in India. The Apomorphine therapy is alternate option for the patients in India, as it
revolutionises, transforms the patients’ health and care besides significantly impacting overall quality of life,” Dr Vinod who was on a consultation visit to the Vijaya Hospitals here told DC on Tuesday.
Explaining with video presentation, he said a patient who could not even stand or move his limbs properly due to continuous tremors, got up and walked merely after six minutes of administering the injection. “Of course, not all patients require this treatment. This would apply to those not responding to oral medicines. As surgery in this case is very expensive and result unfavourable, this alternate therapy would ensure a new lease of life for Parkinson’s patients in India,” he said.
The Apo Pen, which resemble an insulin injection, costs around Rs 1,500 while Apo Pump would cost about Rs 40- 45, 000. These and other medicines would be imported. The pump does not require to be implanted but can be fixed outside or kept in pocket. Asked about its efficacy, he replied, “this will treat the symptoms and stop the progression of the disease. There is no complete cure in neurology. The patients can go back to work, return to normal life.”
Both Professor K Ray Chaudhuri, Chief of King’s Parkinson’s Research Team and Dr. Vinod Metta in conjunction with King’s College London and the Parkinson Foundation Centre of Excellence at King’s College Hospital had recently launched the advanced therapy for Parkinson’s Disease in the form of Apomorhine injection and infusion, for India. The Apomorphine treatment is a key unmet need for thousands of PD sufferers in India.
PD becoming one of the 2nd commonest neuro degenerative diseases
So far in India, since the last 20 years there are only four tablets. And in several cases, the diagnosis has been under diagnosed, under rated and under treated. There is a huge unmet need in diagnosing patients with Parkinson’s. PD is becoming one of the second commonest neuro degenerative disease
especially in Indian population it is becoming more and more common. Two in hundred patients of Parkinson’s are being diagnosed after 60.
“That means as you grow old, once you hit sixty the chance you get PD is two in hundred. That means this is becoming more and more common than any other neurological conditions. So far in India we have only oral treatment. Since last 15 years, we didn’t have any new treatment available in the Indian subcontinent,” Dr. Vinod emphasised.
The first treatment for PD came to India in 1960 and from 2003 to 2016 there was no development. First time, specialists from King’s College Hospital, London, Prof. Ray Chaudhuri and Dr. Vinod Metta, brought this novel German technology and British medicine - Parkinson Pen and Parkinson Pump treatment to India to all deserving patients with their wealth of experience using this treatment since last 20 years in London.
This treatment has been proved successful in transforming the lives of the patients abroad. Vijaya Hospitals is organising Apo Go Pump and Pen Parkinson’s clinics and advanced therapy clinics in conjunction with London Parkinson’s Centre of Excellence, Kings College Hospital Parkinson’s Centre of Excellence.
