GLG News by Psychiatrists (US)

-Pharmacogenetic tests have not made it into the treatment or assessment process for most physicians. -Until the cost for these tests become negligible -- or, included in the cost of a particular antidepressant -- psychopharmacogenetic testing will not make it into the mainstream. 

“Personalized medical diagnositics” looks to be evolving as a high impact area in neuropsychiatric drug development.  Such ‘genetic biomarker’ platforms, based on either pharmacogenetic profiles coming from DNA blueprints or gene products from a simple blood draw, aim to identify patients who are...

‘One drug, many uses’ can make lots of sense clinically and commercially.   Seeking additional FDA indications for a specific drug has obvious business benefits:  greater revenue stream, improved branding, potentially longer market exclusivity, greater franchising potential of the drug...

Lundbeck has now disclosed the mechanism of action of its “mixed serotonin modulator and stimulator,” albeit buried in a first quarter report.   Data on LuAA21004, Lundbeck’s lead antidepressant jointly in development with Takeda, was released at the Scandinavian College of Neuro-Psychopharmacology...

We need to look to the cause of why we prescribe antipsychotics to patients with dementia.  We have very few tools to use and sometimes these drugs are a necessity.

This article clearly describes the Catch-22 in which most doctors, except for those employed by the large institutions, find themselves.  We cannot afford to practice the "best" medicine, and yet, if we could, we might well make fewer errors and make medical care for our patients more seamless. ...

Manipulation of the nicotinic receptor is a novel way to treat ADHD which has significant potential to modify the symptoms of this disorder and to enhance learning and memory.  We have had some difficulty with side effects of varenicline which is a nicotinic partial agonist used in smoking cessation...

Direct comparisons between potential competing agents often do not exist Initial FDA approval is usually based on comparisons to placebo A new approval does necessarily mean that the new agent is better than existing ones, although this is implied by industry Industry bears all the costs of efficacy...

It’s not clear just how BrainCells’ BCI-540 works but the company claims the drug acts by way of promoting neurogenesis without an effect on serotonin neurotransmission.   While SSRI’s also promote neurogenesis, a downstream effect believed to favorably impact mood and anxiety, they obviously...

Specific pharmacology Borad range of indications Validation of some current prescribing patterns Possible gradual increased use of the medication