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.
In a report to be published in the Jan. 8 edition of the journal Circulation Research, the international team of U.S. and Italian heart experts describes in a dozen key laboratory experiments in rodents how the antidepressant clorgyline, which is no longer in use in humans, blocks the action of enzyme monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) and stops its breakdown of a key neurohormone. Norepinephrine, as it is called, controls the pace of blood pumping and makes the heart pump harder and faster in response to stress.
The latest study results, they say, are believed to be the first evidence showing how elevated MAO-A activity biochemically drives heart failure and that its dangerous downstream effects can be stalled by drug therapy.
READ MORE @ NEWSWISE
Showing posts with label antidepressant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label antidepressant. Show all posts
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Drug Combo May Offer Best Relief for Nerve Pain
People with nerve pain respond better to a combination treatment using the anticonvulsant gabapentin and antidepressant nortriptyline than to treatment with either drug alone, according to Canadian researchers.
The study findings suggest that combination treatment could be used to help people who only partially respond to one drug or the other.
Nerve, or neuropathic, pain -- which affects 2 to 3 percent of the population -- is "initiated or caused by a primary lesion or dysfunction in the nervous system," according to a news release from The Lancet, which is publishing the study online Sept. 29. Conditions that cause neuropathic pain include nerve problems in the spine, diabetes-related nerve damage and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which is nerve pain caused by the varicella zoster virus that can follow an outbreak of shingles.
ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION
The study findings suggest that combination treatment could be used to help people who only partially respond to one drug or the other.
Nerve, or neuropathic, pain -- which affects 2 to 3 percent of the population -- is "initiated or caused by a primary lesion or dysfunction in the nervous system," according to a news release from The Lancet, which is publishing the study online Sept. 29. Conditions that cause neuropathic pain include nerve problems in the spine, diabetes-related nerve damage and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which is nerve pain caused by the varicella zoster virus that can follow an outbreak of shingles.
ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Pfizer Pays $2.3 Billion to Settle Marketing Case
The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer agreed to pay $2.3 billion to settle civil and criminal allegations that it had illegally marketed its painkiller Bextra, which has been withdrawn.
It was the largest health care fraud settlement and the largest criminal fine of any kind ever.
Although the investigation began and largely ended during the Bush administration, top Obama administration officials held a news conference on Wednesday to celebrate the settlement, thank each other for resolving it and promise more crackdowns on health fraud.
“It’s another step in the administration’s ongoing effort to prosecute any individual or organization that tries to rip off health care consumers and the federal government,” said Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services.
Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill have accused the Obama administration of failing to crack down adequately on health care fraud, arguing that huge savings in government health programs could be found with better enforcement. The settlement had been expected. Pfizer, which is acquiring a rival, Wyeth, reported in January that it had taken a $2.3 billion charge to resolve claims involving Bextra and other drugs. It was Pfizer’s fourth settlement over illegal marketing activities since 2002.
READ MORE @ NY TIMES
It was the largest health care fraud settlement and the largest criminal fine of any kind ever.
Although the investigation began and largely ended during the Bush administration, top Obama administration officials held a news conference on Wednesday to celebrate the settlement, thank each other for resolving it and promise more crackdowns on health fraud.
“It’s another step in the administration’s ongoing effort to prosecute any individual or organization that tries to rip off health care consumers and the federal government,” said Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services.
Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill have accused the Obama administration of failing to crack down adequately on health care fraud, arguing that huge savings in government health programs could be found with better enforcement. The settlement had been expected. Pfizer, which is acquiring a rival, Wyeth, reported in January that it had taken a $2.3 billion charge to resolve claims involving Bextra and other drugs. It was Pfizer’s fourth settlement over illegal marketing activities since 2002.
READ MORE @ NY TIMES
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Combo Treatment Relieves Comorbid Pain and Depression
A two-pronged intervention of optimized antidepressant and behavioral pain management therapy improves symptoms of comorbid pain and depression, a randomized trial showed.
The intervention yielded a clinically and statistically significant reduction of at least 50% in depression symptoms and at least 30% in pain for three times more patients than did usual care, which was significant at both six months (23.6% versus 7.9%) and 12 months (26.0% versus 7.9%).
The number needed to treat to improve pain to this threshold was 4.1, and it was 4.8 to achieve a response for depression, Kurt Kroenke, M.D., of Indiana University in Indianapolis, and colleagues reported in the May 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
This was similar to the number needed to treat of 4 in a Cochrane review of antidepressants compared with placebo or no treatment in medically ill adults, they noted.
READ MORE @ MEDPAGE TODAY
The intervention yielded a clinically and statistically significant reduction of at least 50% in depression symptoms and at least 30% in pain for three times more patients than did usual care, which was significant at both six months (23.6% versus 7.9%) and 12 months (26.0% versus 7.9%).
The number needed to treat to improve pain to this threshold was 4.1, and it was 4.8 to achieve a response for depression, Kurt Kroenke, M.D., of Indiana University in Indianapolis, and colleagues reported in the May 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
This was similar to the number needed to treat of 4 in a Cochrane review of antidepressants compared with placebo or no treatment in medically ill adults, they noted.
READ MORE @ MEDPAGE TODAY
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Medication May Prevent Depression In Patients With Head And Neck Cancer
Taking the antidepressant citalopram before beginning treatment for head and neck cancer may help prevent depression during therapy, according to results of a pilot study.
"Treatment for head and neck cancer can be arduous and debilitating," the authors write as background information in the article. "Psychiatric morbidity in these patients is frequent and underdiagnosed. Major depressive disorder has been reported in up to 40 percent of patients with head and neck cancer, typically within the first three months of diagnosis."
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
"Treatment for head and neck cancer can be arduous and debilitating," the authors write as background information in the article. "Psychiatric morbidity in these patients is frequent and underdiagnosed. Major depressive disorder has been reported in up to 40 percent of patients with head and neck cancer, typically within the first three months of diagnosis."
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
Saturday, March 1, 2008
F.D.A. Approves Wyeth Antidepressant
Faced with the looming loss of patent protection for its top-selling drug, the antidepressant Effexor XR, Wyeth received federal approval on Friday for a successor drug, Pristiq, which the company hopes will also become a blockbuster.
With the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Pristiq, Wyeth said the company planned a big sales effort to introduce the product to psychiatrists and primary care doctors.
Wyeth needs a product that will replace some of the revenue expected to be lost to generic competitors of Effexor XR, whose patent protection expires in 2010. Sales of Effexor XR last year were $3.8 billion.
Dr. Philip Ninan, a Wyeth vice president for neuroscience, said he thought that Pristiq, which is chemically similar to Effexor, would have similar benefits in treating major depression. But the company said the drug had distinct advantages over its existing product.
Among them are that patients can start taking Pristiq at the therapeutic dose of 50 milligrams. Frequently, antidepressants must be started at a low dose, then ramped up to the therapeutic dose, to test whether patients can tolerate the drug and to determine the correct dose for the individual. Another advantage is that Pristiq does not have to be broken down by the liver, Dr. Ninan said, so it is not likely to interact with other medications metabolized by the liver.
READ MORE @ NY TIMES
With the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Pristiq, Wyeth said the company planned a big sales effort to introduce the product to psychiatrists and primary care doctors.
Wyeth needs a product that will replace some of the revenue expected to be lost to generic competitors of Effexor XR, whose patent protection expires in 2010. Sales of Effexor XR last year were $3.8 billion.
Dr. Philip Ninan, a Wyeth vice president for neuroscience, said he thought that Pristiq, which is chemically similar to Effexor, would have similar benefits in treating major depression. But the company said the drug had distinct advantages over its existing product.
Among them are that patients can start taking Pristiq at the therapeutic dose of 50 milligrams. Frequently, antidepressants must be started at a low dose, then ramped up to the therapeutic dose, to test whether patients can tolerate the drug and to determine the correct dose for the individual. Another advantage is that Pristiq does not have to be broken down by the liver, Dr. Ninan said, so it is not likely to interact with other medications metabolized by the liver.
READ MORE @ NY TIMES
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Novel Antidepressant Agomelatin Targets Melatonin and Serotonin Receptors: Presented at CPA
The soon-to-be-available antidepressant agomelatin offers excellent efficacy with great tolerability and sleep improvements to boot.
Raymond W. Lam, MD, Professor and Head of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, presented the latest findings on this agent here at the 57th Annual Conference of the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA).
Agomelatin is a new antidepressant with a novel mechanism of action. It acts as an agonist to both the melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2. It is also an antagonist to the 5HT2C serotonin receptor. It also appears to have no other action in any other receptor site, and over 80 sites have been studied so far, said Dr. Lam.
Both the M1 and M2 receptors are known to be involved in regulation of circadian rhythms. Stimulation of M1 has a positive effect on sleep by attenuating the alerting signal produced by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain. M2 has a phase-shifting effect on circadian rhythms. Antagonism of the 5HT2C increases the activity of dopamine and noradrenalin in the frontal cortex, which can have both anxiolytic and antidepressant effects. It also promotes slow wave sleep or deep, restorative sleep.
READ MORE @ DOCTOR'S GUIDE
Raymond W. Lam, MD, Professor and Head of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, presented the latest findings on this agent here at the 57th Annual Conference of the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA).
Agomelatin is a new antidepressant with a novel mechanism of action. It acts as an agonist to both the melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2. It is also an antagonist to the 5HT2C serotonin receptor. It also appears to have no other action in any other receptor site, and over 80 sites have been studied so far, said Dr. Lam.
Both the M1 and M2 receptors are known to be involved in regulation of circadian rhythms. Stimulation of M1 has a positive effect on sleep by attenuating the alerting signal produced by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain. M2 has a phase-shifting effect on circadian rhythms. Antagonism of the 5HT2C increases the activity of dopamine and noradrenalin in the frontal cortex, which can have both anxiolytic and antidepressant effects. It also promotes slow wave sleep or deep, restorative sleep.
READ MORE @ DOCTOR'S GUIDE
Friday, November 30, 2007
Lifespan link to depression drug
An antidepressant drug lengthens tiny worms' lives and offers hope of humans living longer too, US scientists say.
In the study, detailed in journal Nature, nematode worms were exposed to 88,000 chemicals in turn and mianserin extended lifespan by almost a third.
The drug seems to mimic the effects on the body of the only known animal long-life regime - virtual starvation.
Experts said the findings might point to there being genes in humans that could be targeted to increase lifespan.
READ MORE @ BBC
In the study, detailed in journal Nature, nematode worms were exposed to 88,000 chemicals in turn and mianserin extended lifespan by almost a third.
The drug seems to mimic the effects on the body of the only known animal long-life regime - virtual starvation.
Experts said the findings might point to there being genes in humans that could be targeted to increase lifespan.
READ MORE @ BBC
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
U.S. rejects Glaxo's gepirone ER antidepressant
U.S. regulators have rejected GlaxoSmithKline Plc's (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research) experimental drug gepirone ER for adults with major depression.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a not approvable letter for the extended-release tablets, which Glaxo had licensed from privately owned Fabre-Kramer Pharmaceuticals Inc in February, Europe's biggest drugmaker said on Saturday.
The news is a blow to Glaxo, which needs new drugs to make up for pending patent expiries on key blockbusters and a recent slump in sales of its second-biggest seller, the diabetes pill Avandia, which has been hit by fears over a possible link to heart attacks.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a not approvable letter for the extended-release tablets, which Glaxo had licensed from privately owned Fabre-Kramer Pharmaceuticals Inc in February, Europe's biggest drugmaker said on Saturday.
The news is a blow to Glaxo, which needs new drugs to make up for pending patent expiries on key blockbusters and a recent slump in sales of its second-biggest seller, the diabetes pill Avandia, which has been hit by fears over a possible link to heart attacks.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Valdoxan(R), the First Melatonergic Antidepressant, Confirms its Efficacy in Preventing Relapse Whatever the Severity of the Depression
Valdoxan(R) (agomelatine), the first melatonergic antidepressant, is an effective, long-term treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) according to new data presented today at the European College of Neurospsychopharmacology(ECNP) annual congress. The new international study showed Valdoxan's efficacy in preventing relapse in out-patients with MDD over six-months, irrespective of the severity of depression(1).
"The short term efficacy of this novel antidepressant has already been demonstrated in several clinical studies", points out study investigator Professor Guy Goodwin from the Department of Psychiatry,University of Oxford, UK. "This new study demonstrated the long-term efficacy of Valdoxan in the prevention of depressive relapses, after an initial response to the drug, over a treatment period of six months. The results show that Valdoxan is a promising therapeutic agent for the short-and-long-term management of MDD, which offers remission to our depressed patients with very few adverse effects".
READ MORE @ JURA FORUM
"The short term efficacy of this novel antidepressant has already been demonstrated in several clinical studies", points out study investigator Professor Guy Goodwin from the Department of Psychiatry,University of Oxford, UK. "This new study demonstrated the long-term efficacy of Valdoxan in the prevention of depressive relapses, after an initial response to the drug, over a treatment period of six months. The results show that Valdoxan is a promising therapeutic agent for the short-and-long-term management of MDD, which offers remission to our depressed patients with very few adverse effects".
READ MORE @ JURA FORUM
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