Medication news from 2001

New drug for depression and hallucinations to be launched (12/24/01)
Different antidepressive medications not so different after all? (12/19/01)
New schizophrenia drug filed for approval in Europe (12/18/01)

Weight gain due to antipsychotics (11/22/01)
Medication among Swedish children and adolescents (011119)
Serious consequences of lacking concordance in medication (11/14/01)
Bristol-Meyer Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceutical submit new application for release of new schizophrenia drug (11/08/01)
Research give rise to new drugs for depression (11/01/01)

Risk of side-effects: Leponex may cause metabol symptoms (10/24/01)
Novartis plans more trials for new schizophrenia drug (10/17/01)
Development of a new dopamine-stabilizing drug (10/16/01)

Future medication made from macromolecules (09/17/01)

Schizophrenia medications influence the stock market (09/07/01)
Soon the pill bottle will remind you to take medicines (08/24/01)
Schizofreniförbundet makes a statement about neuroleptica (08/21/01)
Comment about neuroleptica from pharmaceutical company (08/21/01)
Interactions Between Prescription Drugs and Natural Remedies (08/09/01)

Abilitat ready for FDA approval (07/26/01)
Novartis' new schizophrenia drug delayed (07/24/01)
Zyprexa Eli Lilly's strongest card (07/19/01)
Schizophrenia drugs help companies' sales rise (07/17/01)
Another 300 million dollars to DeCODE (07/04/01)

The debate on neuroleptica continues (06/19/01)
SBU evaluates antipsychotics (06/18/01)
More discussion about neuroleptica (06/07/01)
Zyprexa approved in Japan (06/01/01)

Studies compare new and older neuroleptica (05/17/01)
Zyprexa and Prozac effective together (05/11/01)
Bristol-Meyers new schizophrenia drug in final stage of trial (05/08/01)
Pharmacia stops project on schizophrenia medication (05/03/01)

Pfizer & Bristol-Meyers release drugs for schizophrenia (04/25/01)
AstraZeneca and ePhysician in prescription pact (04/24/01)
Companies make big money on drugs for schizophrenia (04/18/01)
Easier applying for compensation for impairment (09/04/01)
A new edition of Fass (05/04/01)
Incorrect use of medication for psychosis (04/04/01)

Antidepressive drugs hazardous for some mentally ill (03/21/01)
Female sex hormone can reduce symptoms in schizophrenia (03/08/01)
Increased risk for diabetes after atypical antipsychotics (03/01/01)

Injection of antipsychotics new trend? (02/19/01)
War on the antipsychotics market (020601)
Japanese Company starts selling Seroquel (02/05/01)
Zeldox approved in the U.S. (02/05/01)

Zeldox application in Europe withdrawn (01/31/01)
Prescription of antipsychotic drugs to older people (01/29/01)
Zeldox released on the market (09/25/00)
Clozapin may cause serious cardiovascular side effects (07/29/00)

New drug for depression and hallucinations to be launched (12/24/01)
California-based company Corcept Therapeutics Inc. is developing a treatment for a serious psychiatric disorder involving severe depression and hallucinations. Their lead drug candidate, C-1073, is currently in phase III clinical trials to treat psychotic major depression (PMD), a disorder that affects more than 3 million people in the United States each year.
Source: Yahoo! - Reuters, Saturday, December 22, 2001
Read more in article at Yahoo! - Reuters

Different antidepressive medications not so different after all? (12/19/01)
Depression is one of the fastest growing problems in mental health care today, and most large pharmaceutical companies have at least one, or in certain cases several, antidepressant drugs on the market. But what makes one antidepressant drug better than the other? A current US study have examined patients which initially were treated with either paroxetine (Paxil by GlaxoSmithKline), fluoxetine (Prozac by Eli Lilly), or sertraline (Zoloft by Pfizer), but were allowed to switch if they had negative reactions or did not respond to the first drug. All three drugs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The study showed that the three drugs did not differ significantly with regards to their efficiency, or the patient's recovery following treatment.
Source: Health Scout news, Wednesday, December 19
Read more in article at Health Scout news

New schizophrenia drug filed for approval in Europe (12/18/01)
Aripiprazole is a new generation of atypical antipsychotics produced by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co Ltd. On December 17, the two pharmaceutical companies filed their drug for approval by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency. The medication has previously been filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Source: Reuters, Monday December 17
Read more at Reuters

Weight gain due to antipsychotics (11/22/01)
Weight gain is a problem for many patients treated with antipsychotic medication. The weight gain is identified as the single most important side-effect by a Canadian psychiatrist who presented a recent study at the annual scientific meeting of the Canadian Psychiatric Association, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Although all the antipsychotics investigated in the study were associated to weight gain, there was a difference between the types of medication; some antipsychotics were more likely to cause a more pronounced increase in weight compared to the other.
Source: Doctors Guide News November 19, 2001
Read the article

Medication among Swedish children and adolescents (11/19/01)
The National Board of Health and Welfare has recently published a quarterly report on medication statistics. There is a tendency towards increased use of medication for stomach problems, pain and depression among the young in Sweden, according to the statistics for the third quarter of year 2001. During the same period, the prescription of antibiotics has decreased somewhat.
Read the press statement (in Swedish)
Read the report (in Swedish)

Serious consequences of lacking concordance in medication (11/14/01)
Failure in treatment, unnecessary suffering for the patients and large costs for society are three serious consequences of lack of concordance in medication treatment. In other words, the problem is that a large proportion of the patients not take take their medication the way their doctor prescribed it. Instead, some patients choose to take the medication in a way they see fit. This is a major problem, which is analyzed in a new report "Less disease and better health by increased concordance to medication prescription- The role of the health-related professionals". The report is written by the Swedish organization NEPI (Network for medication epidemiology).

The largest problem with lacking concordance is seen in treatment of diseases without clear symptoms which lasts for a long time. This situation is familiar to many schizophrenic patients who often receive medication therapy during several years.

In the report a number of action is suggested to help decrease the problem. The main measure suggested is to focus on health care staff. The idea is that the health care professionals in the future can provide better help and support to the patients to follow the doctors prescription and take the medication in correct dosage and in the correct way.
Read more about NEPI
read the report in pdf-format (in Swedish)

Bristol-Meyer Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceutical submit new application for release of new schizophrenia drug (11/08/01)
Pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Japan's Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co have submitted a new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for aripiprazole, a new drug against schizophrenia.
Read more at Yahoo! - Reuters (11/07/01)

Research on transmittor substances of the brain give rise to new drugs for depression (11/01/01)
In a few years, new drugs for treating depression may be available, according to the Swedish journal Läkemedelsvärlden. The mechanism for these new drugs will be radically different compared to the drugs used today. As for schizophrenia, the researchers hypothesize that the disease depression is caused by an imbalance in some specific trasmittor substances of the human brain. By investigating the biochemical mechanisms underlying depression, the researchers have now been able to identify new substances which influence the effect of the transmittor substances on the central nervous system. Researchers and pharmaceutical companies are now striving to transfer the new knowledge into a new generation of drugs. Hopefully, the new drugs will have several benefits compared to the drugs available today, for example a faster effects on symptoms associated to depression.
Source: Läkemedelsvärlden no 11, 2001
Read the article (in Swedish)

Risk of side-effects: Leponex may cause metabol symptoms (10/24/01)
Information on side-effects from the Swedish Medical Products Agency: Leponex (clozapine) may cause metabil symptoms with insuline resistens and hyperlipidemia. Similar effects are also suspected for olanzapin and risperidon. Information is available at the Swedish Medical Products Agency website, including a list of 25 references.
Source: the Swedish Medical Products Agency website, publishing date september 3, 2001.
Read more at the Swedish Medical Products Agency website (from the index side, click on "Biverkningsinformation", and then on "Leponex..."). Information in Swedish.

Novartis plans more trials for new schizophrenia drug (10/17/01)
Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis plans more clinical trials for their new schizophrenia drug iloperidone. The trade name for iloperidone is Zomaril, and its launch is expected in 2003.
Read more at Yahoo! - Reuters (10/11/01)

Development of a new dopamine-stabilizing drug(10/16/01)
Carlsson Research is working on a new drug for stabilization of dopamine. A specific new substance, called OSU6162, seems to be particularly suitable for future treatment of schizophrenia. Preliminary trials have shown good antipsychotic effect. The procedure on developing a new drug is now continued, and a clinucal development program is now operated by Pharmacia.
Source: Läkemedelsvärlden
Read more at the Läkemedelsvärlden´s website (in Swedish)

Future medication made from macromolecules (09/17/01)
The picture shows a macomolecule (a protein).

Today, almost all drugs are made from small molecules. That may soon change according to a recent analysis in the Economist.

A few years ago, 2 000 drug candidates were searched for elusive qualities that make a molecule “druggable”. Four such qualities were identified; drug molecules were (1) small, (2) contained fewer than a total of ten nitrogen and oxygen atoms, (3) had five or fewer “hydrogen-bond donor sites” and (4) were soluble in fat as well as in water. An updated list of drugs is now over 7,000 compounds long, and as many as 90% of them obey these rules.

There are certainly advantages with small-size molecules as pharmaceutical active components, but there are also unpleasant side-effects. Therefore, drug makers are starting to think bigger. Biochemists have long known that drugs made from "macromolecules", such as proteins, peptides and nucleic acids, could manipulate cells with a power and specificity that small-molecule drugs lack. However, they cannot be swallowed as they would be destroyed by the acids of the stomach. Even if they somehow reached the bloodstream, cell membranes are almost impermeable to large peptides and nucleic acids.

The article describes several ways of creative (but still realistic!) thinking on how to deliver macromolecules to the interiors of other cells for therapeutical reasons.

Source: "A Bigger Pill To Swallow"(The Economist, Sept. 6, 2001)
Read the article at the Economist

Schizophrenia medications have big influence on the stock market (09/07/01)
Zyprexa, Risperdal, Seroquel and Geodon. They are all medications for schizophrenia that are sold by big international pharmaceutical companies, and they affect the stock market strongly.
Read more at Yahoo! Forbes (09/07/01)

Soon the pill bottle will remind you to take medicines (08/24/01)
An American company reports that it is preparing to launch a special cap to be put on the pill bottle. The device can be programmed by pharmacists to emit a beep and flashes of red light when a patient should take a pill.
The new device might be helpful to schizophrenic patients, who often are required to take antipsychotic medication daily for extended periods of time.
Source: Reuters Health 08/22/01
Read more at Reuters

Schizofreniförbundet makes a statement about neuroleptica (08/21/01)
Rakel Lundgren, president for the Swedish organization Schizofreniförbundet ("the Schizophrenia Society") represents the working committee in a statement: "The choice of medication should be guided by the effects on treatment, not the cost". According to the statement at Dagens Medicin, the Schizofreniförbundet considers the debate too focused on public economy, instead of ensuring the best possible treatment for the individual patient.
Source: Dagens Medicin Internet version 08/21/01
Read the statement from Lundgren (only in Swedish)

Comment about neuroleptica from pharmaceutical company (08/21/01)
Johan Järte, medical director at the pharmaceutical company Janssen-Cilag which markets Risperdal, has now engaged in the debate about atypic versus conventional neuroleptics. According to Järte, "Risperdal provides a better and more secure effect compared to conventional neuroleptica"
Source: Dagens Medicin internet version 08/21/0
Read the comment from Järte (only in Swedish)

Interactions Between Prescription Drugs and Natural Remedies (08/09/01)
Psychiatric Times has published an article by Frank J. Ayd Jr on how interactions between popular herbs and prescription medications can increase or decrease the pharmacological or toxicological effects of either component. The article reviews chinese traditional medicines and their interactions with prescription drugs and presents case reports and case series of herb-drug interactions.
Source: Psychiatric Times August 2001 Vol. XVII Issue 8
Read the article

Abilitat ready for FDA approval (07/26/01)
Bristol Meyer's new schizophrenia drug, Abilitat, has now passed the final clinical trials, and the company is ready to seek marketing approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Article on Yahoo! - Reuters (07/26/01)

Novartis' new schizophrenia drug delayed (07/24/01)
The planned release of an experimental schizophrenia drug by the Swiss company Novartis AG has been delayed. The application for FDA approval of Zomaril was expected to be filed in the fourth quarter of 2001, but the medicine will now not be submitted until the end of 2002.
Article on Yahoo! - Reuters (07/24/01)

Zyprexa Eli Lilly's strongest card (07/19/01)
Eli Lilly's second quarter report shows that profits grew 24 percent over the past three months. The increase is mainly due to the company's new anti-schizophrenia blockbuster, Zyprexa.
Read more on Yahoo!:
AP: Eli Lilly Reports 24 Pct Q2 Profits (07/19/01)
Reuters: Lilly Profits Rise, But Growth to Stall (07/19/01)
Forbes: Eli Lilly Faces Fate (07/18/01)

Schizophrenia drugs help companies' sales rise (07/17/01)
Both Johnson & Johnson's schizophrenia drug, Risperdal, and Pfizer's ditto, Geodon, helped the two companies increase their sales during the second quarter of 2001.
Read more on Yahoo!:
Reuters: J&J sees low-double-digit sales growth continuing (07/17/01)
Reuters: Pfizer posts 30 percent rise in Q2 profits (07/17/01)
Forbes: No Tears Seen For Johnson & Johnson (07/16/01)

Another 300 million dollars to DeCODE (07/04/01)
HUBIN earlier published a report about the cooperation between the Icelandic company DeCODE genetics (previous report) and Swiss pharmaceutical giant Hoffmann-La Roche. In this report the results from a study - which was sponsored by Hoffmann-La Roche with 200 million dollars - were presented. DeCODE had then delivered three drug targets for schizophrenia, stroke and narrowed arteries. Now DeCODE get another 300 million to continue their search for drug targets.
Article on Yahoo! - Reuters (07/02/01)

The debate on neuroleptica continues (06/19/01)
Another contribution to the discussion on neuroleptica has now been published by the Swedish journal Dagens Medicin. Åke Pålsson, Ola Ohlsson and Bodil Ericsson has written the article.
Source: Published in Dagens Medicin nr 25-33/01.

SBU evaluates antipsychotics (06/18/01)
The Swedish council for technology assessment in health care (SBU) has a mission to critically appraise the methods used in healthcare and objectively assess the costs, risks and benefits of these methods. SBU now runs a project to assess the effects, safety, and cost effectiveness of the new antipsychotic drugs. Also, the efficiency, security and cost aspects of treating psychosis with risperidon (Risperdal), olanzapin (Zyprexa), sertindol and seroque will be evaluated in an additional report. Sten Thelander is leading the evaluation which will be published later during year 2001, according to the plans.
Read more about SBU

More discussion about neuroleptica (06/07/01)
The Swedish magazine "Dagens Medicin" publishes a statement from Dr Hans Bendz at the University Hospital in Lund and professor Arne Melander, head of Nepi, Network for medical epidemiology.
Read about upcoming studies investigating neuroleptika
Read previous statement by Göran Sedvall

Zyprexa approved in Japan (06/01/01)
Eli Lilly and Co.'s schizophrenia drug, Zyprexa, has now been approved by Japan's Ministry of Health. Zyprexa controls more symptoms of the disease, and causes fewer side effects than earlier medications against schizophrenia released in Japan.
Article on Yahoo! - Reuters (06/01/01)

Studies compare new and older neuroleptica (05/17/01)
During the fall two new independent studies will be conducted to try to find out if the new atypic drugs for treatment of schizophrenia are better than the conventional antipsychotic drugs. Today, the scientists are of different opinions on which type of neuroleptica is optimal to the individual patients, and to society. In a recently published English study, 52 randomly chosen studies comparing new and conventional drugs have been evaluated. The author´s opinion is that a psychiatrist should prescribe conventional neuroleptica to a schizophrenic patient that he or she meets for the first time. This opinion has been criticized by other researchers and psychiatrists working within this field.

One of the upcoming studies will be conducted in Sweden, the other is European. Professor Göran Sedvall is one of the initiators to the European study. According to professor Sedvall both these investigations are interesting, especially since they are independent of the pharmaceutical companies.
Read the article at Dagens Medicin (published 05/15/01, in Swedish)
Read a statement by Göran Sedvall (published at Hubin website 02/16/01)

Zyprexa and Prozac effective together (05/11/01)
Drug maker Eli Lilly and Co. now say that a combination of its two best-selling drugs, antidepressant Prozac and schizophrenia drug Zyprexa, proved more effective than either medicine alone in reducing symptoms of treatment-resistant depression and depression with psychotic features.
Article on Yahoo! - Reuters (05/09/01)

Bristol-Meyers new schizophrenia drug in final stage of trial (05/08/01)
HUBIN previously reported (see report) about Bristol-Meyers plans to file an application for approval of their new schizophrenia drug, Abilitat. The latest press release now reveals that Abilitat - whose chemical name is aripiprazole - has reached Phase III of the clinical trials, which is the final stage before submitting a drug for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Article on Yahoo! - Reuters (05/08/01)
Article on Virtual New York (05/08/01)

Pharmacia stops research project on medication for schizophrenia (05/03/01)
Pharmacia has stopped some of their research projects, and one of them is aimed at developing new drugs for treatment of schizophrenia, according to the Swedish newspaper Uppsala Nya Tidning. The CEO and chairman of the board of Pharmacia, Fred Hassan, gave a recent speech on increased demand for efficiency. The stopped schizophrenia project has been running for several years, and it ha already cost a lot of money. The total cost for developing a new drug is usually around three billion SEK, according to estimations made by the large pharmaceutical companies. The most expensive part of a project is the third phase, when large groups of patients are tested. In the second phase, where the schizophrenia project is stopped, around 100-200 patients are involved.
Source: Uppsala Nya Tidning, UNT (05/02/01)
Read more at UNT website

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