Psychosis News and Research

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Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality". People suffering from psychosis are said to be ''psychotic.''

ACADIA raises $15 million through private placement

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company utilizing innovative technology to fuel drug discovery and clinical development of novel treatments for central nervous system disorders, today announced that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement for a private placement financing with a select group of institutional investors, including New Enterprise Associates and Venrock.

10 Jan 2011

Sunovion reports results of Latuda third phase 3 worldwide clinical trial for schizophrenia

Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced the results of the PEARL 3 study, the third phase 3 worldwide clinical trial of Latuda® (lurasidone HCl) tablets, a once-daily atypical antipsychotic agent recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. In this six-week, placebo-controlled trial, both fixed doses of LATUDA 80 and 160 mg once-daily, demonstrated statistically significant improvement in symptoms of schizophrenia versus placebo across both primary and secondary efficacy measures.

9 Dec 2010

People suffering psychotic disorders 12 times more likely to commit suicide

People with psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, are 12 times more likely to commit suicide than average, according to research released today by King's Health Partners.

7 Dec 2010

Psychiatric hospitalization rate decreases among adults with schizophrenia treated with INVEGA SUSTENNA: Study

Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling brain disorder that affects 1 percent of the U.S. population and results in substantial medical and societal costs, in particular from use of health-care resources. It also can have devastating health-related and social effects on people with the disease, their families and caregivers.

20 Nov 2010

Santarus announces commercial U.S. launch of CYCLOSET for type 2 diabetes mellitus

Santarus, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced the commercial U.S. launch of CYCLOSET (bromocriptine mesylate) tablets. CYCLOSET is a prescription drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus both as monotherapy and in combination with other oral antidiabetic agents.

15 Nov 2010

Phase III study suggests CYCLOSET tablets improve glycemic control

Santarus, Inc. and VeroScience LLC today announced that analyses of 379-patient subset data from a 3,070-patient Phase III safety study conducted with CYCLOSET (bromocriptine mesylate) tablets suggested that CYCLOSET as an add-on to oral antidiabetes drugs produced improvements in glycemic control irrespective of baseline duration of disease.

4 Nov 2010

Allen Institute releases new data and tools for exploring genes at work in human brain

The Allen Institute for Brain Science announced today its twentieth public data release, which includes new data and tools for exploring genes at work in the human brain. In addition to expanding and enhancing the Allen Human Brain Atlas, the Allen Institute launched two new human brain resources: the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project and the NIMH Transcriptional Atlas of Human Brain Development.

3 Nov 2010

ACADIA and BLS enter agreement to conclude pimavanserin collaboration

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Biovail Laboratories International SRL ("BLS"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., pursuant to which ACADIA and BLS have agreed to conclude their previously established collaboration to develop and commercialize pimavanserin in the United States and Canada.

29 Oct 2010

Latuda tablets receive FDA approval for treatment of adults with schizophrenia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Latuda (lurasidone HCl) tablets for the treatment of adults with schizophrenia.

29 Oct 2010

Common psychiatric drugs could slow dementia

Researchers say commonly used psychiatric drugs could be effective in slowing the progression of certain types of dementia. Dr John Kwok and colleagues from Neuroscience Research Australia have discovered a mutant gene that causes abnormal proteins build up in the brains of people with frontotemporal dementia, a disease that affects people in their 50s and 60s.

28 Oct 2010

Study observes interaction between HLA-C and ERAP1 genes in psoriasis

Genetic variants associated with increased susceptibility to psoriasis are reported in five papers published online this week in Nature Genetics. Psoriasis is a chronic and recurrent skin disease, and one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases, with a global prevalence of 2-3%.

19 Oct 2010

Lundbeck, Merck announce commercialization agreement for SYCREST sublingual tablets

H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) and Merck, known outside the United States and Canada as MSD, today announced a commercialization agreement for SYCREST (asenapine) sublingual tablets (5 mg, 10 mg). Under the terms of the agreement, Lundbeck will pay an undisclosed fee as well as product supply payments in exchange for exclusive commercial rights to SYCREST in all markets outside the United States, China and Japan. Lundbeck expects to launch SYCREST in the European Union (EU), where it is already approved, at the beginning of 2011.

12 Oct 2010

IDMC recommends early termination of Phase 3 intramuscular depot aripiprazole trial

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (OPC) and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC) announced today that an independent data monitoring committee (IDMC) has recommended the early termination of its Phase 3, 52-week, placebo-controlled, intramuscular depot aripiprazole trial.

6 Oct 2010

Researchers investigate ways to increase survival rate in patients with Parkinson's disease

New research shows how old people are when they first develop Parkinson's disease is one of many clues in how long they'll survive with the disease. The research is published in the October 5, 2010, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

5 Oct 2010

Merck's boceprevir Phase III studies for HCV to be presented at 61st AASLD

Merck today announced that final results from two pivotal Phase III studies of boceprevir, its investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor, will be presented in oral plenary sessions at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), which is taking place from Oct. 29 through Nov. 2 in Boston. Results for boceprevir in response-guided therapy strategies, which evaluated treatment durations shorter than current standard therapy, will be presented during the meeting.

4 Oct 2010

Noven acquires global rights to Daytrana from Shire affiliates

Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has completed the acquisition of global rights to Daytrana® (methylphenidate transdermal system) from affiliates of Shire plc.

1 Oct 2010

Study indicates neurotransmitters are abnormal in people with psychotic illness

There is growing evidence that two neurotransmitters - dopamine and glutamate - are abnormal in people with psychotic illness, including schizophrenia. Among many other things, these chemicals play a role in cognitive functions, such as memory, learning, and problem-solving.

1 Oct 2010

New approach to prevent psychotic symptoms

New research has linked psychosis with an abnormal relationship between two signalling chemicals in the brain. The findings, published in tomorrow's edition of the journal Biological Psychiatry, suggest a new approach to preventing psychotic symptoms, which could lead to better drugs for schizophrenia.

30 Sep 2010

Study suggests drugs targeting glutamatergic transmission may help treat psychotic illness

There is growing evidence that two neurotransmitters dopamine and glutamate are abnormal in people with psychotic illness, including schizophrenia. Among many other things, these chemicals play a role in cognitive functions, such as memory, learning, and problem solving.