AstraZeneca/Targacept's TC-5214 for treatment resistant depression to earn Decision Resources' gold standard status

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, for treatment resistant depression therapy, AstraZeneca/Targacept's TC-5214 will earn Decision Resources' proprietary clinical gold standard status in 2013 (following its approval that year) and through 2018. Phase IIb trial results show significant improvement in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores on the effect on depressive symptoms in patients who did not respond adequately to citalopram monotherapy. These results indicate that TC-5214 has competitive advantages in efficacy over current and emerging drugs for treatment resistant depression.

"Phase IIb trials demonstrated the efficacy of TC-5214 as an augmentation therapy for major depressive disorder; should Phase III trials demonstrate both efficacy and tolerability, TC-5214 will have a significant market advantage and may earn blockbuster sales in the major depressive disorder market," stated Decision Resources' Analyst Alana Simorellis, Ph.D.

The new report entitled Major Depressive Disorder (Treatment Resistant): Incremental Efficacy Improvements Are a Key Area of Differentiation in This Mature Market finds that effect on depressive symptoms is the most important drug attribute surveyed European and U.S. psychiatrists consider when prescribing a drug for treatment resistant depression. Surveyed European and U.S. psychiatrists also indicated that though they are not willing to compromise on safety and tolerability for a new emerging drug they also do not require significant improvements.

"Psychiatrists we surveyed indicated that an emerging agent with a safety and tolerability profile similar to that of AstraZeneca's Seroquel XR, coupled with modest improvements in certain efficacy end points relative to Seroquel XR, would gain significant traction in the treatment resistant subpopulation of the major depressive disorder drug market," added Dr. Simorellis.