Antidepressant News and Research

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Antidepressants are medicines that treat depression. Your doctor can prescribe them for you. They can improve your mood, sleep, appetite and concentration. It may take several weeks for them to help. There are several types of antidepressants. You and your doctor may have to try several before finding what works best for you.

Study shows Cymbalta reduces chronic low back pain

In a new study, 60 mg of Cymbalta® (duloxetine HCl) taken once daily significantly reduced chronic low back pain, as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) average pain rating, compared with placebo.

3 Feb 2010

FDA approves Labopharm's OLEPTRO antidepressant for MDD

Labopharm Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved OLEPTRO(TM) (trazodone hydrochloride) Extended Release Tablets, a novel once-daily formulation of the antidepressant trazodone, for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. OLEPTRO(TM) utilizes CONTRAMID(R), Labopharm's clinically validated technology that controls the release of active substances within oral medications.

3 Feb 2010

Evidence suggests antidepressants may improve post-stroke recovery

Patients who received the antidepressant escitalopram following a stroke appeared to recover more of their thinking, learning and memory skills than those taking placebo or participating in problem-solving therapy, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 Feb 2010

Electrode devices emerge as potential stimulation treatments for depression

Approximately ten to thirty percent of patients with depression do not respond to drug treatments commonly used for the disorder, and this has spurred a search for alternatives. According to Kalorama Information's report "Electrical and Magnetic Neurostimulation," electrode devices that stimulate nerves have emerged as a solution and there is competition among notable device companies to provide the most effective stimulator.

28 Jan 2010

USPTO grants Cenestra Health patent relating to high-purity omega-3 fatty acid formulations

Cenestra Health announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a key patent related to the company's high-purity omega-3 fatty acid formulations and their methods of use. U.S. Patent No. 7652068, entitled "Omega-3 Fatty Acid Formulations," covers a unique, high-purity formulation of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

27 Jan 2010

Women on antidepressant drugs may experience lactation difficulties

According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), women taking commonly used forms of antidepressant drugs may experience delayed lactation after giving birth and may need additional support to achieve their breastfeeding goals.

27 Jan 2010

EpiCept's NP-1 for treatment of PHN receives FDA orphan drug designation

EpiCept Corporation announced today that EpiCeptTM NP-1 has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). NP-1 is a prescription topical analgesic cream designed to provide long-term relief from the pain of peripheral neuropathies.

27 Jan 2010

Testing DBS for treating severe long-term depression

Bewernick and colleagues administered DBS treatment in ten patients with severe long-term depression who had not responded to multiple other antidepressant treatments, including psychotherapy, drug treatments and electroconvulsive treatment. After one year of DBS, all patients showed some improvement, and half of them experienced significant improvement in their symptoms of depression, astonishing considering they had not responded to any prior antidepressant treatment. In addition, the patients showed reduced ratings of anxiety and had only minor side effects. Importantly, none of their overall brain functioning was impaired by the DBS treatment.

27 Jan 2010

Biovail comments on Teva Pharmaceutical's proposed Budeprion XL trial

Biovail Corporation today commented on a proposed clinical trial recently announced by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. According to Teva, the trial is intended to address reports of inefficacy and adverse events by consumers who switched from Wellbutrin XL® 300 mg, Biovail’s FDA-approved brand of the antidepressant, bupropion hydrochloride, to Budeprion XL, Teva’s generic formulation of the drug. The trial was described in a Dow Jones Newswire article dated December 2, 2009.

22 Jan 2010

Study reveals link between serotonin receptor number and antidepressant treatment

An excess of one type of serotonin receptor in the center of the brain may explain why antidepressants fail to relieve symptoms of depression for 50 percent of patients, a new study from researchers at Columbia University Medical Center shows.

18 Jan 2010

Targacept signs collaboration and license agreement with AstraZeneca

Targacept, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of drugs known as NNR Therapeutics™, today announced that its collaboration and license agreement with AstraZeneca for the global development and commercialization of TC-5214 for major depressive disorder (MDD) has become effective as a result of early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.

11 Jan 2010

Data from national surveys shows few Americans receive consistent treatment for MDD

Only about half of Americans diagnosed with major depression in a given year receive treatment for it and even fewer - about one-fifth - receive treatment consistent with current practice guidelines, according to data from national surveys supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health.

6 Jan 2010

Animal experiments show old antidepressant may reverse heart failure

A team of Johns Hopkins and other researchers have found in animal experiments that an antidepressant developed over 40 years ago can blunt and even reverse the muscle enlargement and weakened pumping function associated with heart failure.

6 Jan 2010

Study indicates efficacy of antidepressants varies significantly depending on symptom severity

An analysis of randomized trials indicates that compared with placebo, the magnitude of benefit of antidepressant medications varies with the severity of depressive symptoms, and may provide little benefit for patients with mild or moderate depression, but appear to provide substantial benefit for patients with very severe depression, according to an article in the January 6 issue of JAMA.

6 Jan 2010

Study shows increasing number of U.S. adults are taking antidepressants and antipsychotic medications

An increasing number of U.S. adults are being prescribed combinations of antidepressants and antipsychotic medications, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

5 Jan 2010

Intra-Cellular Therapies announces results of its ITI-007 antipsychotic drug Phase I study

Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (ITI) announced at a recent conference on neuropsychiatric diseases the results from a recently completed Phase I clinical study demonstrating ITI-007, the Company's lead antipsychotic drug, interacts with important targets in the living human brain. These key targets are critical to drug action in many neuropsychiatric and related disorders.

21 Dec 2009

Antidepressants may play a key role in improving adolescents’ mental health

Suicidal adolescents who were prescribed an antidepressant medication during inpatient psychiatric hospital treatment were 85 percent less likely than others to be readmitted within a month after discharge, a new study found.

18 Dec 2009

Naurex' GLYX-13 demonstrates antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like activity without CNS-related side effects

Naurex Inc., a new clinical stage company developing innovative treatments for depression and other CNS disorders based on its novel GFPA NMDA receptor modulators, today announced that data presented at a major medical meeting showed that its lead compound GLYX-13 demonstrated robust antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like activity with no signs of the CNS-related side effects seen with other drugs targeting the NMDA receptor.

16 Dec 2009

Naurex commences dosing in its GLYX-13 Phase I clinical trial for treatment-resistant depression

Naurex Inc., a new clinical stage company developing innovative treatments for depression and other CNS disorders based on its novel GFPA NMDA receptor modulators, today announced that it has initiated a Phase I clinical trial of its lead compound GLYX-13 and has successfully dosed the first subjects in the study.

16 Dec 2009

Antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications linked to increased risk of cardiovascular events and death

Women with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) who report taking antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications have an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes, and death compared to women not taking these medications, according to researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).

15 Dec 2009

Antidepressant News and Research

Further Reading

Study shows Cymbalta reduces chronic low back pain

FDA approves Labopharm's OLEPTRO antidepressant for MDD

Evidence suggests antidepressants may improve post-stroke recovery

Electrode devices emerge as potential stimulation treatments for depression

USPTO grants Cenestra Health patent relating to high-purity omega-3 fatty acid formulations

Women on antidepressant drugs may experience lactation difficulties

EpiCept's NP-1 for treatment of PHN receives FDA orphan drug designation

Testing DBS for treating severe long-term depression

Biovail comments on Teva Pharmaceutical's proposed Budeprion XL trial

Study reveals link between serotonin receptor number and antidepressant treatment

Targacept signs collaboration and license agreement with AstraZeneca

Data from national surveys shows few Americans receive consistent treatment for MDD

Animal experiments show old antidepressant may reverse heart failure

Study indicates efficacy of antidepressants varies significantly depending on symptom severity

Study shows increasing number of U.S. adults are taking antidepressants and antipsychotic medications

Intra-Cellular Therapies announces results of its ITI-007 antipsychotic drug Phase I study

Antidepressants may play a key role in improving adolescents’ mental health

Naurex' GLYX-13 demonstrates antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like activity without CNS-related side effects

Naurex commences dosing in its GLYX-13 Phase I clinical trial for treatment-resistant depression

Antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications linked to increased risk of cardiovascular events and death

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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