Carbidopa/levodopa extended-release capsules (Crexont)
Recently approved
An extended-release levodopa pill, FDA-approved in 2024, designed to be taken fewer times a day. It is a convenience improvement, not a disease-slowing drug.
- Stage: FDA approved (2024)
- Type: Symptomatic
- Developer: Amneal Pharmaceuticals
- Target: Dopamine replacement
- How it works: An oral capsule combining immediate- and extended-release levodopa beads so each dose lasts longer.
- Who it's for: Adults with Parkinson's already taking levodopa.
- FDA approval: August 2024
- Last reviewed: 2026-06-01
What it is
Crexont is a capsule that mixes fast-acting and slow-release forms of levodopa so a single dose lasts longer. The aim is to let people take levodopa fewer times per day and spend more of the day with their symptoms controlled.
Where it stands
FDA approved in August 2024 and available by prescription.
What the data shows so far
In its pivotal Phase 3 trial against standard immediate-release carbidopa/levodopa, people on Crexont got slightly more daily 'good on' time while taking the medicine fewer times a day. The differences were modest and the comparison ran over a few months, not years.
What families should know
If pill timing is a daily struggle, a longer-lasting levodopa may simplify the schedule. It is the same underlying medicine, so it carries the same long-term issues and does not change the course of the disease.
Caveats
Convenience benefit only; no effect on disease progression. Modest improvement in 'on' time versus standard levodopa. Cost and insurance coverage vary.
Timeline
Most recent first.
- Aug 2024, FDA approval in the United States.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-06-01. Back to the Parkinson's drug pipeline