Date: {{$ActivityAssignDate}}

Dear Dr. {{$doctorName}},

Subject: A survey to assess the usage pattern of Safinamide in the management of Parkinson's disease in India

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by early prominent death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and wide spread presence of alpha synuclein (aSyn), an intracellular protein. Parkinson's disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder that affects 2-3% of the population 265 years of age. Parkinson's disease is clinically defined by the presence of bradykinesia and at least one additional cardinal motor feature (rigidity or rest tremor). Non-motor symptoms involve a multitude of functions, including disorders of sleep-wake cycle regulation, cognitive impairment, disorders of mood and affect, autonomic dysfunction, as well as sensory symptoms and pain.

Treatment strategies are focused on dopaminergic replacement therapy. Levodopa monotherapy may be successful in addressing motor symptoms in early-onset patients and may be optimized by adding on other dopamine-potentiating agents such as monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, dopamine agonists and catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitors. However, although these strategies can be efficacious in improving motor function, they are also associated with motor complications and fluctuations in ON and OFF time, which are often treatment resistant.

Safinamide is a new oral therapy that has recently been approved in India (2019) for the treatment of adult patients with mid- to late-stage fluctuating disease as add-on therapy to a stable dose of levodopa alone or in combination with other PD treatments. Safinamide is a unique molecule with a novel mechanism of action. It is an a-aminoamide that has both dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic mechanisms of action. This survey is conducted among Neurologist to understand usage pattern of Safinamide in PD in India.

As you will be spending some extra time to give your feedback on the questionnaire based on your clinical experience, we offer to pay you by cheque a professional fee of Rs {{$contractAmount}}, on receiving the completed Survey Questionnaire Form from you.

We trust you and we are partners in promoting safe and effective drug therapy. In that spirit we hope you will consent to participate in this study. If you do, please sign and return the enclosed reply along with your visiting card for accuracy of records.