Posted by bleauberry on December 9, 2009, at 17:35:57
In reply to Extended Release Seroquel Approved For Depression, posted by Phillipa on December 8, 2009, at 20:19:59
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>release. "Seroquel XR may provide another >effective treatment option for the depressive >symptoms associated with MDD as adjunctive >treatment to antidepressants."Notice the word "may" in the above sentence. Typical CYA political language. We are the guinnea pigs to show them if that word "may" could actually be "will" or "will not". At this point, they don't know. But for sure they are looking for a new angle to increase sales.
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> The FDA's action was based on data from 2 phase 3 clinical studies of 939 patients with refractory MDD, showing that the addition of extended-release quetiapine to antidepressant therapy yielded significantly greater reductions in Montgomerey-Asberg Depression Rating Scale total score.More details please. What were the antidepressants? What were the AD doses? What subtypes of depression are we talking about? But here's the real question. Those depression scores involve a total of a bunch of subgroups. For example, there is a score for "interest, activities, hobbies"; a score for "sleep"; a score for "appetite"; a score for "energy"...and so on. A bunch of subgroups that get scored. I want to see more details. Did the interest, motivation scores increase? I doubt it. The people were too sedated for that. Energy increased? I doubt it. Mood improved? I doubt it. They were probably drugged and cared less, so in a sense that improved their score of "overall wellbeing". Where did most of the total score get its increase from? Probably just two things...sleep and appetite.
Of course, some people are helped immensely by Seroquel. I just don't hardly ever see it, but it happens once in a while.
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> Adverse events most commonly reported in study patients receiving quetiapine were consistent with the drug's profile and included somnolence (150 mg/day, 37%; 300 mg/day, 43%), dry mouth (150 mg/day, 27%; 300 mg/day, 40%), fatigue (150 mg/day, 300 mg/day, 14%; 11%), and constipation (150 mg only, 11%).Yep, if someone needs to be drugged up and serene, that would probably do it. Kind of hard to feel depression through that.
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> Other potential adverse events related to use of the atypical antipsychotic may include rapid weight gain, tardive dyskinesia, suicidal thinking and behavior, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, hyperglycemia, increased cholesterol levels, leukopenia, neutropenia, and agranulocytosis.Lovely.
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> Quetiapine extended-release tablets previously were approved for the treatment of schizophrenia, depressive episodes of bipolar disorder, manic or mixed episodes of bipolar disorder as either monotherapy or adjunct therapy to lithium or divalproex, and the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder as adjunct therapy to lithium or divalproex.
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> Other indications currently under FDA review include acute monotherapy and maintenance monotherapy for the treatment of MDD in adult patients.
>Gotta get those sales up. Find other uses. Hey, how about anorexia? How about oncology insomnia, or oncology management in general? I wonder, do people pee easier on seroquel? Maybe that would be something.
It's a friggin antihistamine above and beyond anything else it does for pete's sake.
Seroquel is a miracle for a minority of people, and for them this post is not intended, forgiveness is requested.
poster:bleauberry
thread:928562
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091206/msgs/928669.html