Celebrity Chef Zarela Martinez Partners with Acorda Therapeutics on the launch of “A Taste for Life with Zarela℠”
Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ACOR) has partnered with culinary icon Zarela Martinez to launch “A Taste for Life with Zarela” in honor of Parkinson’s Awareness Month. The video series highlights Zarela's personal journey with Parkinson’s disease and offers recipes promoting healthy living. Zarela, diagnosed in 2004, shares her experience managing symptoms with nutrition and exercise, alongside the use of INBRIJA® (levodopa inhalation powder) since its launch in 2019. INBRIJA is the first inhaled levodopa for managing OFF episodes in Parkinson's patients.
- Collaboration with Zarela Martinez enhances Acorda's public profile.
- INBRIJA is highlighted as a critical therapeutic option for managing Parkinson's symptoms.
- Awareness campaign may lead to increased interest in Parkinson's treatment options.
- None.
Culinary icon Zarela Martinez and Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ACOR) have partnered to launch “A Taste for Life with Zarela” to celebrate Parkinson’s Awareness Month. The video series showcases Zarela’s inspirational “building blocks” for living well with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and for healthy and delicious eating. The site can be reached at www.ATasteForLifeWithZarela.com.
Zarela, a native of Mexico, opened her eponymous restaurant in 1987, featuring traditional regional Mexican cuisine -- the first of its kind in Manhattan. Since then, she’s authored three cookbooks and hosted her own show on PBS, elevating her to celebrity status. In 2013 she was named to the James Beard “Who’s Who in Food and Wine.” The same year, Radcliffe/Harvard’s Schlesinger Library acquired her personal and professional papers.
“A Taste for Life with Zarela” features videos of Zarela preparing some of her most versatile recipes while also sharing her recipe for living well with Parkinson’s. She was formally diagnosed in 2004, after decades of living with symptoms of the disease. Consistent with her fiery spirit, she tackled this new challenge head-on. In addition to her medications, she stayed socially active and used nutrition and exercise to help control her Parkinson’s symptoms. Zarela also began taking INBRIJA® (levodopa inhalation powder) shortly after it was launched in 2019, to help manage her OFF periods.
INBRIJA is the first and only inhaled levodopa. It is a prescription medicine used for the return of Parkinson’s symptoms (known as OFF episodes) in adults treated with carbidopa/levodopa medicine. INBRIJA does not replace regular carbidopa/levodopa medicine. OFF periods are characterized by the return of Parkinson’s symptoms despite underlying baseline therapy.
“It’s easy for people with Parkinson’s to become isolated – you just don’t feel like yourself anymore. However, it’s crucial that you find something you are passionate about – something you cannot live without doing – and for me that is cooking…and socializing and exercise and creativity! In this video series, I want to share my ‘building blocks’ for living a vibrant life with Parkinson’s – as well as my ‘building blocks’ for healthy, delicious meals,” Zarela says, “As my PD progressed, my medication stopped working as well in between scheduled doses, and my symptoms would come back. I talked to my doctor, and he prescribed INBRIJA. And for me, INBRIJA is an important part of how I manage my Parkinson’s.”
About Zarela Martinez
Zarela grew up on a cattle ranch in Chihuahua, Mexico. After she married and settled in El Paso, Texas, she started her own catering business. She was later discovered by Chef Paul Prudhomme, who recognized Zarela’s talent and invited her to cook alongside him at an event at Tavern on the Green in New York City. Shortly after, she moved to New York and opened her own restaurant.
Zarela quickly became renowned for her sophisticated Mexican cuisine. Three cookbooks and a PBS series, “Zarela! La Cucina Veracruzana” followed. In 2004 she was labeled one of seven individuals that redefined the American culinary landscape in the last half of the twentieth century by the U.S. State Department.
Today, she co-hosts a podcast, “Cooking in Mexican from A to Z,” on the Heritage Radio Network. Along with her son, Chef Aarón Sánchez, she explores the food, flavors, and history of Mexico through lively conversations with their guests.
About Parkinson’s Disease and OFF Periods
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder resulting from the gradual loss of certain neurons in the brain. These neurons are responsible for producing dopamine and that loss causes a range of symptoms including impaired movement, muscle stiffness and tremors. As Parkinson’s progresses, people are likely to experience OFF periods, which are characterized by the return of Parkinson’s symptoms, which can occur despite underlying baseline therapy. Approximately one million people in the U.S. and 1.2 million Europeans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s; it is estimated that approximately 40 percent of people with Parkinson’s in the U.S. experience OFF periods. Patients and care partners should remember to talk with their healthcare provider about diet and exercise.
About INBRIJA (levodopa inhalation powder)
INBRIJA is the first and only inhaled levodopa. It is a prescription medicine used for the return of Parkinson’s symptoms (known as OFF episodes) in adults treated with carbidopa/levodopa medicine. INBRIJA does not replace regular carbidopa/levodopa medicine. INBRIJA is not to be used by patients who take or have taken a nonselective monoamine oxidase inhibitor such as phenelzine or tranylcypromine within the last two weeks. INBRIJA utilizes Acorda’s innovative ARCUS® platform for inhaled therapeutics.
Additional Important Safety Information (U.S.)
Before using INBRIJA, patients should tell their healthcare provider about all their medical conditions, including:
- asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or any chronic lung disease
- daytime sleepiness, sleep disorders, sleepiness/drowsiness without warning or us of medicine that increases sleepiness including antidepressants or antipsychotics
- dizziness, nausea, sweating, or fainting when standing up
- abnormal movement (dyskinesia)
- mental health problem such as hallucinations or psychosis
- uncontrollable urges like gambling, sexual urges, spending money, or binge eating
- glaucoma
- pregnancy or plans to become pregnant. It is not known if INBRIJA will harm an unborn baby.
- breastfeeding or plans to breastfeed. Levodopa (the medicine in INBRIJA) can pass into breastmilk and it is unknown if it can harm the baby.
Patients should tell their healthcare provider if they take:
- MAO-B inhibitors
- dopamine D2 receptor antagonists (including phenothiazines, butyrophenones, risperidone, metoclopramide)
- isoniazid
- iron salts or multivitamins that contain iron salts
Patients are not to drive, operate machinery, or do other activities until they know how INBRIJA affects them. Sleepiness and falling asleep suddenly can happen as late as a year after treatment is started.
Patients should tell their healthcare provider if they experience the following side effects:
- falling asleep during normal daily activities with or without warning. If patients become drowsy, they should not drive or do activities where they need to be alert. Chances of falling asleep during normal activities increases if patients take medicine that cause sleepiness.
- withdrawal-emergent hyperpyrexia and confusion (fever, stiff muscles, or changes in breathing and heartbeat) if patients suddenly stop using INBRIJA or carbidopa/levodopa medicines, or suddenly lower their dose of carbidopa/levodopa.
- low blood pressure when standing up (that may be with dizziness, fainting, nausea, and sweating). Patients should get up slowly after sitting or lying down.
- hallucinations and other psychosis – INBRIJA may cause or worsen seeing/hearing/believing things t
FAQ
What is 'A Taste for Life with Zarela' by Acorda?
When was INBRIJA launched and what is its purpose?
How does Zarela Martinez manage her Parkinson's symptoms?
How many people are affected by Parkinson’s disease in the U.S.?
