levodopa

American  

[lee-vuh-doh-puh] / ˌli vəˈdoʊ pə /

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a synthetic substance, C 9 H 11 NO 4 , that is converted in the brain to dopamine: used chiefly in the treatment of parkinsonism.

---

levodopa British  

/ ˌliːvəʊˈdəʊpə /

noun

1. another name for L-dopa

---

Etymology

Origin of levodopa

First recorded in 1965–70; levo- + dopa

Example Sentences

According to the researchers, a better understanding of why levodopa works could guide the development of future treatments that focus on maintaining steady dopamine levels rather than targeting rapid dopamine signals.

From Science Daily • Dec. 22, 2025

Two journals have retracted papers related to Rutherford’s levodopa research, citing methodological problems.

From Science Magazine • Aug. 16, 2023

Martin herself recently created a tomato that produces levodopa, the primary drug for treating Parkinson’s disease, in hopes of making the drug both more affordable and more tolerable.

From New York Times • Jul. 20, 2021

Simply start taking levodopa, the most common medication for treating Parkinson’s disease.

From The Guardian • May 3, 2018

Treatments, which include Botox injections and levodopa, a drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease, have been found to ease the problem.

From Washington Post • Feb. 16, 2018