The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the anti-amyloid beta protofibril antibody lecanemab (Leqembi, Eisai) for the treatment of early Alzheimer's disease (AD). The agency approved the treatment on the basis of findings from the CLARITY AD trial, which showed modest cognitive benefit for patients with early AD [...]
In a study published in PLOS Medicine that uses data spanning 25 years, the authors observed short sleep duration to be associated with risk of chronic disease and subsequent multimorbidity but not with progression to death. There was no robust evidence of an increased risk of chronic disease among those [...]
An enzyme that efficiently degrades and metabolizes cocaine has been given a ‘cooperative agreement grant’ from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) part of the National Institutes of Health. The recombinant enzyme is a double-mutant cocaine esterase 200 mg intravenous (IV) solution and treats cocaine intoxication, which refers to the state [...]
It is known that psychedelics activate serotonin 2A receptors, which eventually leads to states like increased empathy and out-of-body experiences. One of the key questions remaining n psychedelic medicine is quantifying how this class of drugs operates at the higher-order brain level. As reported in Psychiatric News, part of a [...]
Suicidal behaviors were higher during the school year (average of 6,761/month) compared to school break (average of 4,512/month). Prevalence of suicidal behaviors was highest in October for both hospitalization and primary diagnosis of mood disorder. Among the school year cohort, the rate of suicidal behaviors was higher in youth with [...]
Two drugs have emerged as the optimal medications for treating insomnia based on the "best-available evidence," but there are caveats. In a comprehensive comparative-effectiveness analysis, lemborexant and eszopiclone showed the best efficacy, acceptability, and tolerability for acute and long-term insomnia treatment. However, eszopiclone may cause substantial side effects — and safety data on lemborexant [...]
Balovaptan, a novel drug that binds to and blocks vasopressin 1A (V1a) receptors, does not improve social communication in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), new research shows. Efficacy analysis from a phase 2 trial included more than 160 participants, making it the largest of its kind to date, investigators note. Although [...]
In a continuation of bad news for investigative Alzheimer's drugs, Roche has halted five early and midstage trials covering a range of therapeutic categories, including Alzheimer's drugs. The Swiss pharma admits that two of its most exciting prospects remain high-risk. The drugmaker also confirmed it had removed a phase 2 [...]
Sage and Biogen’s depression drug quickly relieved symptoms of depression in a phase 3 trial, but the readout did little to quell concerns about the med’s durability of effect, an issue that investors and analysts have been concerned about, according to a blog published today on Fierce Biotech. In the [...]
We are frequently consulted by patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD).Reference Fogelson and Leuchter1 Many of these patients have never met criteria for a manic episode so they are not diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BPD). Consequently, they have undergone trials of antidepressants with or without augmentation therapies without success.Reference Perlis, Uher [...]