Boehringer pitches to fight restless legs

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals in Ridgefield has begun a national restless leg syndrome (RLS) awareness campaign aimed at doctors and people with the syndrome. The campaign includes a major direct-to-consumer advertising campaign for its Mirapex prescription RLS drug, and a “simulator” that the company said will help physicians better understand the condition.
People with RLS generally describe the syndrome as burning, crawling, tingling or tugging sensations in the legs, especially when the person is at rest or in bed for the night. The syndrome, which interferes with sleep and can result in daytime exhaustion, causes a person to want to stretch or move around to relieve the symptoms. Other symptoms include an uncontrollable urge to move the legs at night. It is considered an underdiagnosed “neurological sensorimotor disorder.”
Boehringer”™s RLS Simulator was developed to replicate some of the uncomfortable symptoms for physicians to help them diagnose the syndrome. The unit uses an audio-visual headset and a custom-made boot with an inflatable lining that stimulates leg and calf muscles, the company said.
“We are committed to RLS education to ensure that physicians better understand RLS and the impact it can have on patients”™ lives,” said Paul Fonteyne, executive vice president of the German-owned pharmaceutical company. “The RLS Simulator was created to help physicians experience firsthand the symptoms and other effects of RLS.”
Boehringer said the unit is the first experiential simulator utilizing three of the five senses to aid in understanding RLS. “We believe this will help improve communication between physicians and their patients,” Fonteyne said.
Several different types of prescription medicines treat RLS, including medications called dopamine agonists, which include Boehringer”™s Mirapex brand for people with moderate to severe symptoms. The company said it will showcase its simulator at multiple medical meetings throughout the country this year in an effort to reach thousands of doctors targeted for the RLS awareness campaign.a