SmithKline Beecham's Requip (TM) (ropinirole hydrochloride) received marketing clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease, both as initial therapy and as adjunctive treatment with levodopa. Requip is licensed for use in patients with early Parkinson's disease and in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.

Requip is generally well tolerated. In the early therapy study, the most common side effect was nausea, which was related to the stimulation of dopamine receptors. Other side effects included dizziness, somnolence and headaches. The most common side effects in patients already experiencing motor fluctuations was dyskinesia. Other adverse experiences that occurred less frequently included nausea, dizziness, and somnolence. All Parkinson's patients should be informed that syncope or symptomatic hypotension may occur more frequently during initial treatment, and hallucinations can occur at any time during the course of treatment.