Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

FDA approves Labopharm's OLEPTRO antidepressant for MDD

Labopharm Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved OLEPTRO(TM) (trazodone hydrochloride) Extended Release Tablets, a novel once-daily formulation of the antidepressant trazodone, for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. OLEPTRO(TM) utilizes CONTRAMID(R), Labopharm's clinically validated technology that controls the release of active substances within oral medications.

3 Feb 2010

Older male Italian immigrants more prone to depression

Older male Italian immigrants are almost twice as likely to suffer from depression as their Australian-born counterparts, researchers from the University of Sydney's School of Public Health have found.

3 Feb 2010

Study indicates majority of physicians are not following DSM-IV guidelines for major depressive disorder

A new study led by Mark Zimmerman, MD, of Rhode Island Hospital indicates that a majority of non-psychiatrist physicians and a substantial minority of psychiatrists reported that they often do not use the criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) when diagnosing major depressive disorder (MDD) in patients. The study appears online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

3 Feb 2010

CPS supports NACI recommendations for new shingles vaccine

The Canadian Pain Society (CPS) supports the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommendations for the use of a vaccine to significantly reduce the risk of developing herpes zoster (shingles) and post herpetic neuralgia in adults over the age of 60 without contraindications.

3 Feb 2010

One-third of doctors and diabetes patients prioritize health conditions differently

About one-third of doctors and their patients with diabetes do not see eye to eye on the most important health conditions to manage, according to a survey by the University of Michigan Medical School.

3 Feb 2010

Women's metabolic disorder remains largely undiagnosed

Gail Donnelly's classmates nicknamed her "Knobby" because she was so skinny all her bones seemed to poke out from under her skin. But when Donnelly turned 27, that once knobby frame disappeared under mysteriously ballooning weight.

2 Feb 2010

Javelin Pharmaceuticals' NDA for Dyloject Injection accepted for formal review

Javelin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading developer and marketer of specialty pharmaceutical products for pain management, today announced that its New Drug Application (NDA) submitted on December 2, 2009 to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its investigational product candidate, Dyloject™ (diclofenac sodium) Injection, has been accepted for formal review.

2 Feb 2010

Persons with impaired hearing should be encouraged by family members to seek appropriate treatment

Recent data arising out of the Better Hearing Institute's "MarkeTrak" national study demonstrates that hearing loss is prevalent, serious, and often denied by the sufferer. The information revealed suggests that family members of the hearing impaired should actively encourage their loved ones to address their hearing problem, an effort which will greatly benefit both the hard of hearing and their kin.

2 Feb 2010

Extended nicotine patch therapy benefits relapsing smokers trying to quit

New research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine may help more smokers keep their New Year's resolution by helping them quit smoking. Extended use of a nicotine patch - 24 weeks versus the standard eight weeks recommended by manufacturers - boosts the number of smokers who maintain their cigarette abstinence and helps more of those who backslide into the habit while wearing the patch, according to a study which will be published in the February 2 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

2 Feb 2010

Caregivers of ICU survivors endure more stress than those caring for Alzheimer's disease patients

Intensive care unit patients are not the only ones likely to be severely depressed in the aftermath of hospitalization. Family and friends who care for them often suffer emotional and social hardship, too, according to a prospective study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine that is the first to monitor patients and caregivers during a one-year period for predictors of depression and lifestyle disruption.

2 Feb 2010

Genetic mutations may trigger suicidal behavior in depressed patients

Single mutations in genes involved with nerve cell formation and growth appear to be associated with the risk of attempting suicide among individuals with depression, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the April print issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 Feb 2010

Evidence suggests antidepressants may improve post-stroke recovery

Patients who received the antidepressant escitalopram following a stroke appeared to recover more of their thinking, learning and memory skills than those taking placebo or participating in problem-solving therapy, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 Feb 2010

Survey finds Americans hesitant to seek mental health for confidentiality reasons

A survey from the American Psychiatric Association has found that workers' fears about losing their status at work and about confidentiality are the reasons American workers hesitate to seek treatment for mental health issues, HealthDay/BusinessWeek reports.

1 Feb 2010

New mental health coverage rules promise to end some discrimination

Reuters: Employer-provided group health plans must offer the same level of coverage for mental illness and drug abuse treatment as for other ailments, according to federal regulations issued on Friday.

31 Jan 2010

GlaxoSmithKline's Lamictal XR Extended-Release Tablets receive FDA approval

laxoSmithKline announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Lamictal®XR™ (lamotrigine) Extended-Release Tablets as once-a-day, add-on therapy for epilepsy in patients ages 13 years and older with primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures.

29 Jan 2010

BioCentric Energy to grow algae strain with high EPA/DHA oil content in V3 Algae-Pro systems

BioCentric Energy is pleased to announce that the final engineering on the V3 Algae-Pro Photobioreactor system is now complete. We have received via shipment from China the 32 Corners for the V3 Alga-Pro system. Also received at the Santa Ana headquarters are the 8,000 lineal feet of proprietary, seven layer tubing. Installation of the V3 Algae-Pro system will commence over the next two weeks.

29 Jan 2010

AA attendance may alleviate depression

One of many reasons that attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings helps people with alcohol use disorders stay sober appears to be alleviation of depression.

29 Jan 2010

NIDA supports Omeros' Addiction program

Omeros Corporation today announced that the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is providing support for the Company's Addiction program. NIDA will fund substantially all of the costs of a Phase 2 clinical study to be conducted by New York State Psychiatric Institute researchers.

28 Jan 2010

Florida State University research team to develop way of measuring zinc levels in the human body

A team of Florida State University researchers will use a five-year, $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a way to measure levels of the trace metal zinc in the human body.

28 Jan 2010

Blocking CRF may prevent excessive alcohol consumption

A team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has found that a specific stress hormone, the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), is key to the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence in animal models.

28 Jan 2010