Azilect First Drug To Slow Progression

The Parkinson Disease Foundation issued a statement on June 16, 2008 saying that Teva Pharmaceuticals has applied for permission from the FDA to relabel Azilect (rasagiline) for its potential to slow the course of the disease.
According to Teva they have new data from an 18 month study called ADAGIO that suports a neuroprotective benefit. This data has not been released yet by Teva although it is said to have passed its Phase III studies(trials.)
Azilect is already approved for symptom easing and is widely used for that purpose.
If the FDA approve’s Teva’s request, this would be the 1st PD drug to be marketed as :”disease slowing.”
Teva Pharmaceuticals is an Israeli company which trades as TEVA on NASAQ and as MYL on NYSE.

Addendum 2010
The ADAGIO study has been completed although there will probably be another 2mg study may be in the works with different parameters.  You can read the commentary by Dr Karl Kieburtz about the reasons for the inconclusive aspects of the study in regards to the 2mg dosage...as opposed to the 1mg part of the study. These remarks were published at the MJFF website.

Link to the ADAGIO Study commentary by Karl Kieburtz, MD, MPH  

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