 |
|
Genetic test announced for suicidal ideation in patients using antidepressant drugs
September 28, 2007NeuroMark, a Boulder, Colorado company, announced today the immediate availability of a genetic test to identify people at risk of suicidal ideation-thoughts of committing suicide-when prescribed an antidepressant drug. The test, called the Mark-C™ test, is expected to help restore public confidence in antidepressant medication and help to reduce a recently announced spike in suicide rates among U.S. youth. "This is an exciting example of the power of genetics to address a critical need and make important drugs safer for patients worldwide," stated Kim Bechthold, NeuroMark's CEO.
In September 2007, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), announced that in 2004 there was a 8% rise in suicide rates among 10-19 year olds, the year that the FDA issued public health warnings linking antidepressant drugs with suicidal ideation and behavior. "The largest percentage increase in rates from 2003 to 2004 was among females aged 10-14 (75.9%), followed by females aged 15-19 years (32.3%) and males aged 15-19 years (9%)," according to the CDC.
In a statement, the company said, "We feel a sense of responsibility, given the current climate, to provide the test to physicians immediately so that they may identify patients who would benefit from closer monitoring or even a change in therapy. It is our hope that this early test will encourage more people to consider antidepressant drug treatment who would benefit from it."
"Before the NeuroMark test, we couldn't differentiate between the subset of patients who were at risk of suicidal ideation and those who could more safely take an antidepressant drug," stated NeuroMark president Dr. Peter Tolias. "The Mark-C test is highly predictive and identifies citalopram-treated patients who are at high risk for suicidal ideation. The test also identifies people at low risk, giving the physician more confidence in prescribing citalopram," he added.
A Nation-Wide Confirmatory Study
In a unique move, the company is inviting physicians and patients across the country to participate in prospectively collecting data to confirm and extend the predicted risk of the Mark-C test. The data will be compiled in the Mark-C Outcomes Database and participating physicians and patients will be notified as new data they submit confirms and extends the predictive value and clinical utility of the test.
Patients can participate by filling out a short QUIDS-SR "self-described" inventory at each appointment with their doctor. The inventory is submitted by their doctor to the database where scientists will study the results and extended information. In this way each patient is contributing to further developing the test for other patients. The patient's identity is not disclosed and each patient will be advised when the database is updated and expanded. This is the first nationwide prospective gathering of data conducted in partnership with patients and families and their physicians.
The test is being made available in accordance with the requirements and standards of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA). An FDA-approved version of the test is expected to be available within a year.
Importance of Identifying Those at Risk by Examining Genes
It is widely known that antidepressant use decreases the risk of suicide; a recent study of 200,000 depressed veterans found that those taking an antidepressant had one-third the risk of suicide of those who were not. "That is why identifying the small number of patients at risk is so beneficial for the clinician; many more patients can safely benefit from treatment," a company official stated.
In a discovery announced today in the American Journal of Psychiatry, scientists at the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) have identified the first set of genes associated with the risk for treatment emergent suicidal ideation when a patient is prescribed the widely used antidepressant drug citalopram, which is available under the brand name Celexa® and various generic versions. NeuroMark's Mark-C test, a first-in-class test, includes the genetic markers announced today by the NIMH and the American Journal of Psychiatry, and additional markers chosen to increase the predictive power of the test. Authors of the study, "Genetic Markers of Suicidal Ideation Emerging During Citalopram Treatment of Major Depression," stated that patients found at risk for suicidal ideation "may benefit from closer monitoring, alternative treatments and/or specialty care."
FDA Black Box Warning Cited as Possible Cause of Rise
The public health warning linking antidepressant medications with suicidal thinking and behavior in young adults was issued by the FDA and European regulatory agencies in 2003 and 2004. "Black box" labeling is the highest level of warning and was mandated to be placed on all classes of antidepressant drugs by the agency. A decrease in the use of antidepressant drugs began in that year. The decrease in prescribing is linked to the significant rise in U.S. suicide rates that began in the same year, according to a recently published paper by Gibbons et al. in the September issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. The increase in suicides came after a 28% decline in suicides rates over a 15 year period. According to Nemeroff, et.al, (Archives of General Psychiatry, April 2007) antidepressant drug prescriptions declined by an average of 4% per month from April 2002 to February 2004.
According to the CDC, suicides account for more than 32,000 deaths annually in the U.S. The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill reports that suicide deaths consistently outnumber homicide deaths by a margin of three to two.
There was broad news coverage in 2004 of the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior associated with antidepress- ant drugs and the action taken by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The U.S. agency recently expanded the warning label to include people up to the age of 24.
Genes Identified in the NIMH STAR*D Trial
A study, called the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression Study (STAR*D), sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Human Genome Research Institute, the NIH and the Swedish Research Council, enrolled 4,000 patients over four years. The study was the largest trial of its kind ever undertaken. Participating patients were diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and ranged in age from 18 to 75. Patients submitting DNA numbered 1,915. The scientists chose 768 genetic markers to screen in the 68 genes that sampled five broad signaling pathways of potential importance in antidepressant drugs. Suicidal ideation emerged during treatment in 120 out of 1742 patients sampled in the study. Suicidal ideation occurred very early in the course of treatment, 69% by the 21st day and 92% by the 28th day. It also occurred upon change in medication dose. After the end of the 14 week treatment period the authors studied, suicidal ideation persisted in 37% of patients and fluctuated in 15%, or a total of 52% of patients. Twenty-four percent of patients carrying the genetic markers went into remission compared to 42.8% of controls.
How the Mark-C Test Works
The Mark-C test is very simple. It requires a cotton swab to be brushed inside of the patient's cheek to obtain a sample of DNA. Test results are reported to the physician Test results are reported to the physician within 2-4 days from receipt of the sample. Two of the markers probed by the Mark-C test reside in genes that encode receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. These are the genes GRIK2 and GRIA3, both of which encode ionotropic glutamate receptors, the most prominent neuronal membrane receptors in the mammalian brain activated by normal neurophysiologic processes.
The Lane Communications Group
"Before the NeuroMark test, we couldn't differentiate between the subset of patients who were at risk of suicidal ideation and those who could more safely take an antidepressant drug," stated NeuroMark president Dr. Peter Tolias. "The Mark-C test is highly predictive and identifies citalopram-treated patients who are at high risk for suicidal ideation. The test also identifies people at low risk, giving the physician more confidence in prescribing citalopram," he added.
A Nation-Wide Confirmatory Study
In a unique move, the company is inviting physicians and patients across the country to participate in prospectively collecting data to confirm and extend the predicted risk of the Mark-C test. The data will be compiled in the Mark-C Outcomes Database and participating physicians and patients will be notified as new data they submit confirms and extends the predictive value and clinical utility of the test.
Patients can participate by filling out a short QUIDS-SR "self-described" inventory at each appointment with their doctor. The inventory is submitted by their doctor to the database where scientists will study the results and extended information. In this way each patient is contributing to further developing the test for other patients. The patient's identity is not disclosed and each patient will be advised when the database is updated and expanded. This is the first nationwide prospective gathering of data conducted in partnership with patients and families and their physicians.
The test is being made available in accordance with the requirements and standards of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA). An FDA-approved version of the test is expected to be available within a year.
Importance of Identifying Those at Risk by Examining Genes
It is widely known that antidepressant use decreases the risk of suicide; a recent study of 200,000 depressed veterans found that those taking an antidepressant had one-third the risk of suicide of those who were not. "That is why identifying the small number of patients at risk is so beneficial for the clinician; many more patients can safely benefit from treatment," a company official stated.
In a discovery announced today in the American Journal of Psychiatry, scientists at the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) have identified the first set of genes associated with the risk for treatment emergent suicidal ideation when a patient is prescribed the widely used antidepressant drug citalopram, which is available under the brand name Celexa® and various generic versions. NeuroMark's Mark-C test, a first-in-class test, includes the genetic markers announced today by the NIMH and the American Journal of Psychiatry, and additional markers chosen to increase the predictive power of the test. Authors of the study, "Genetic Markers of Suicidal Ideation Emerging During Citalopram Treatment of Major Depression," stated that patients found at risk for suicidal ideation "may benefit from closer monitoring, alternative treatments and/or specialty care."
FDA Black Box Warning Cited as Possible Cause of Rise
The public health warning linking antidepressant medications with suicidal thinking and behavior in young adults was issued by the FDA and European regulatory agencies in 2003 and 2004. "Black box" labeling is the highest level of warning and was mandated to be placed on all classes of antidepressant drugs by the agency. A decrease in the use of antidepressant drugs began in that year. The decrease in prescribing is linked to the significant rise in U.S. suicide rates that began in the same year, according to a recently published paper by Gibbons et al. in the September issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. The increase in suicides came after a 28% decline in suicides rates over a 15 year period. According to Nemeroff, et.al, (Archives of General Psychiatry, April 2007) antidepressant drug prescriptions declined by an average of 4% per month from April 2002 to February 2004.
According to the CDC, suicides account for more than 32,000 deaths annually in the U.S. The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill reports that suicide deaths consistently outnumber homicide deaths by a margin of three to two.
There was broad news coverage in 2004 of the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior associated with antidepress- ant drugs and the action taken by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The U.S. agency recently expanded the warning label to include people up to the age of 24.
Genes Identified in the NIMH STAR*D Trial
A study, called the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression Study (STAR*D), sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Human Genome Research Institute, the NIH and the Swedish Research Council, enrolled 4,000 patients over four years. The study was the largest trial of its kind ever undertaken. Participating patients were diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and ranged in age from 18 to 75. Patients submitting DNA numbered 1,915. The scientists chose 768 genetic markers to screen in the 68 genes that sampled five broad signaling pathways of potential importance in antidepressant drugs. Suicidal ideation emerged during treatment in 120 out of 1742 patients sampled in the study. Suicidal ideation occurred very early in the course of treatment, 69% by the 21st day and 92% by the 28th day. It also occurred upon change in medication dose. After the end of the 14 week treatment period the authors studied, suicidal ideation persisted in 37% of patients and fluctuated in 15%, or a total of 52% of patients. Twenty-four percent of patients carrying the genetic markers went into remission compared to 42.8% of controls.
How the Mark-C Test Works
The Mark-C test is very simple. It requires a cotton swab to be brushed inside of the patient's cheek to obtain a sample of DNA. Test results are reported to the physician Test results are reported to the physician within 2-4 days from receipt of the sample. Two of the markers probed by the Mark-C test reside in genes that encode receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. These are the genes GRIK2 and GRIA3, both of which encode ionotropic glutamate receptors, the most prominent neuronal membrane receptors in the mammalian brain activated by normal neurophysiologic processes.
The Lane Communications Group
Antidepressant Current Events and Antidepressant News RSSViagra for women? Drug developed as antidepressant effective in treating low libido
Pooled results from three separate clinical trials of flibanserin, a drug originally created as an antidepressant, show it is effective in treating women with acquired hypoactive sexual desire disorder. These trials were the first ever to test a therapy that works at the level of the brain to enhance libido in women reporting low sexual desire.
New TMS clinic offers noninvasive treatment for major depression
Rush University Medical Center has opened the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Clinic to offer patients suffering from major depression a safe, effective, non-drug treatment.
Hunting for the Prozac Gene
Prozac works wonders for some depressed people, but not for others. In some cases, patients derive little benefit and at worst, it can lead to bizarre hallucinations and fits of rage.
Why antidepressants don't work for so many
More than half the people who take antidepressants for depression never get relief.
Study reveals an increase in long-term antidepressant drug use
A dramatic rise in antidepressant prescriptions issued by GPs has been caused by a year on year increase in the number of people taking antidepressant drugs on a long-term basis, according to researchers from the University of Southampton.
Popular antidepressant associated with a dramatic increase in suicidal thoughts amongst men
Nortriptyline has been found to cause a ten-fold increase in suicidal thoughts in men when compared to its competitor escitalopram. These findings are published in the open access journal BMC Medicine.
Antidepressant and placebo are equally effective in child pain relief
When used "off-label," the antidepressant amitriptyline works just as well as placebo in treating pain-predominant gastrointestinal disorders in children, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.
Chronic pain treatments work better together, says Queen's anesthesiologist
People who suffer from debilitating neuropathic pain may get more relief and sleep better by combining two commonly-prescribed drugs.
Less than 50 percent of men and women with depression see a doctor for treatment
Less than half of men and women in Ontario who may be suffering from depression see a doctor to treat their potentially debilitating condition, according to a new women's health study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES).
Are the monoamines involved in shaping conduct disorders?
Antisocial and aggressive behaviours represent a widespread and expensive social problem. Recent research has convincingly shown that there is a strong interaction between genetic inheritance and environment for development of personality and behaviour.
More Antidepressant Current Events and Antidepressant News Articles
 |
The Anti-Depressant Fact Book: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You About Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, and Luvox by Peter R. Breggin (Author) By the author of Talking Back to Prozac and Your Drug May Be Your Problem, the answers to over 100 questions about antidepressants. Known as "the Ralph Nader of psychiatry," Dr. Peter Breggin has been the medical expert in countless court cases involving the use or misuse of psychoactive medications. This unusual position has given him unprecedented access to private pharmaceutical research and correspondence files, information from which informs this straight-talking guide to the most prescribed and controversial category of American drugs: antidepressants. From how these drugs work in the brain to how they treat (or don't treat) depression and obsessive-compulsive, panic, and other disorders; from the documented side and withdrawal effects to what every parent needs to know about... |
 |
Nature Made RX Essentials Anti-Depressants Tablets, 60-Count Tablets by Nature Made Daily Supplement. Tailored to your prescription. Take with: Zoloft, Lexapro, Prozac, Effexor XR. Provides essential nutrients for people taking antidepressant medication. No artificial flavors. No preservatives. No yeast or gluten. Your prescription drugs are important to your health and will function without this product. RX Essentials are not intended to replace your prescription drugs. However, people taking antidepressents such as SSRIs and SNRIs may benefit from supplementation with the essential nutrients in this product. If you take prescriptions, take RX Essentials. People taking prescription medications may be more likely to have reduced levels of certain nutrients, low nutrient levels may lead to problems down the road. That's why Nature Made examined numerous clinical studies... |
 |
Orange Blossom - PURE Incense NEW to Amazon! Burns twice as long as other incense - CORELESS!! nothing to provoke allergies (25-30 sticks) Orange Blossom is a fresh fruity citrus - a natural antidepressant. by PURE Incense Orange Blossom (Citrus and Fresh) Bursting juices of orange come to life with energetic splashes of sweet and juicy true orange zest. Blooming petals of orange flower fragrantly embrace this beautiful creation, giving it depth and complexity, a radiant heady floral. This sun-kissed delight is a combination of fruity citrus adding a tangy aroma to the air. Pure Incense blends its Orange Blossom incense with oil pressed from the skin of the orange fruit. It transports us to the fragrance of an orange grove, with a thick, citrus flavor hanging in the air. This exquisite sensual fragrance of orange blossom is deeply relaxing to the mind, helping to dispel anxiety, increase confidence and create a joyful environment. Orange Blossom is cheering, refreshing, and uplifting, a natural... |
 |
Antidepressant by Lloyd Cole As the title suggests, Lloyd Cole delivers an album that mixes sadness delicately with a revitalizing happiness. His songs meld with an exceptionally sunny day or as the rain pours down outside. He twists forgotten youthful dreams with afterthoughts of Scarlet Johansson. Entwining leaving lovers and the grateful thoughts left behind, Cole is heartbreaking and mending all at once. For over 20 years Lloyd Cole, first with the Commotions then solo, has altered style and approach to music leaving a trail of beautiful albums to which Antidepressant is a proud addition. A cult favorite compared with Leonard Cohen, Morrissey, Nick Cave and Elvis Costello, ColeÂ’s gift as a lyricist is on full display in Â"The Young Idealists,Â"Â"NYC SunshineÂ" and the inside jokiness of ... |
 |
The Antidepressant Era by David Healy (Author) When we stop at the pharmacy to pick up our Prozac, are we simply buying a drug? Or are we buying into a disease as well? The first complete account of the phenomenon of antidepressants, this authoritative, highly readable book relates how depression, a disease only recently deemed too rare to merit study, has become one of the most common disorders of our day-and a booming business to boot. |
 |
Xmood - Reduce stress and anxiety, Elevate your mood by My Natural Relief Xmood is an all-natural herbal antidepressant with clinically proven ingredients to fight mild depression. This safe and effective formula was suggested by Rita Elkins, M.H. in her highly acclaimed book Solving the mild depression Puzzle. The key ingredients include: St. John's Wort, 5-HTP, DHA, Ginkgo Biloba, and Folic Acid. These ingredients are combined with a proprietary blend to help people with mild to moderate mild depression. Many people who take prescription antidepressants are burdened with multiple side effects that can often be more devastating than the mild depression they are trying to treat. Xmood is a non-addictive herbal formula designed to treat mild depression naturally without a prescription. |
 |
Lose the Weight Caused by Antidepressants: Get YOU Back Again by James L Harper (Author) "The information in this book has provided relief from the unexplained and rapid weight gain associated with antidepressants." "Finally, a real solution for weight gain affecting a large percentage of the population." "This book is short and to the point with what needs to be done by anyone that has used antidepressants and experienced that type of weight gain." "This book is a no frills but Hard Hitting with the exact information needed to really lose drug induced weight gain." "This book has given me my life back. And I look good too!" |
 |
Blue Q Anti-Depressants Magnet Set by Blue Q This Blue Q magnet set might be just what your refrigerators' been looking for. Made extra thick to really stick. |
 |
Public Forum on Antidepressant Drugs |
 |
Good News Bad News On Anti-Depressants - Black Tote Bag JUMBO 20w X 15h X 5d by 3dRose Good News Bad News On Anti-Depressants Tote Bag is commercial quality high resolution heat transfer product. This versatile tote bag is perfect for school, errands, or trips to the beach. Comes with 12-ounce cotton twill, cotton web handles. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |