---
title: "Foslevodopa/foscarbidopa: Parkinson's Drug Pipeline"
description: "A 24-hour under-the-skin infusion of levodopa, FDA-approved in 2024 for advanced Parkinson's. It steadies medication levels but does not slow the disease."
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/pipeline/vyalev-foslevodopa-foscarbidopa"
development_stage: Recently approved
last_updated: 2026-06-01
source: "Parkinson's Pathways"
---
# Foslevodopa/foscarbidopa (Vyalev (Produodopa in Europe))

**Stage:** FDA approved (2024)  ·  **Type:** Symptomatic

**Developer:** AbbVie

**How it works:** A liquid form of levodopa worn as a 24-hour skin (under-the-skin) infusion instead of taken as pills.

**Target:** Dopamine replacement

**Who it's for:** Adults with advanced Parkinson's who have unpredictable 'off' time despite oral medication.

**FDA approval:** October 2024

**Last reviewed:** 2026-06-01


## What it is

Foslevodopa/foscarbidopa is the same active medicine most people with Parkinson's already take, levodopa, reformulated as a liquid that a small pump delivers continuously under the skin across the whole day. The goal is to keep the level of medicine in the body steadier than pills can, which can reduce the swings between 'on' and 'off' that many people develop after years of treatment.

## Where it stands

The FDA approved it in October 2024 for adults with advanced Parkinson's disease. It is available by prescription. Europe and several other regions approved it earlier under the name Produodopa.

## What the data shows so far

Approval was based on a Phase 3 program in advanced patients. In the pivotal 12-week comparison against oral levodopa, the infusion increased daily 'on' time without troublesome dyskinesia by roughly a couple of hours on average and reduced 'off' time. The most common problems were reactions where the needle sits under the skin (redness, lumps, infection).

## What families should know

This is a delivery upgrade, not a new kind of drug and not a cure. It is aimed at people whose symptoms are no longer well controlled by pills. It involves wearing a pump and caring for the infusion site every day, which suits some families and not others.

## Caveats

Does nothing to slow or stop the underlying disease. It manages symptoms. Skin-site reactions are common and the pump is a daily commitment. Whether it is better than the existing levodopa intestinal gel pump has not been settled by a head-to-head trial.

## Timeline

_Most recent first._

- **Oct 2024**, FDA approval in the United States as Vyalev.
- **2023**, Approved in Europe as Produodopa.

## Sources

- [FDA approval announcement (AbbVie)](https://news.abbvie.com/)

_Last reviewed: 2026-06-01._

## More

- [Back to the Parkinson's drug pipeline](https://parkinsonspathways.com/pipeline)
- [Browse all recruiting trials](https://parkinsonspathways.com/trials)