WILMINGTON, Del., May 22 (UPI) -- AstraZeneca Monday released the results of two studies suggesting Seroquel's promise for treating major depression.
The drug giant said it conducted two clinical studies that assessed the drug quetiapine fumarate; one in which Seroquel was assessed in combination with antidepressant therapies SSRIs and SNRIs to improve residual depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder; and the other to test the drug in the same combination to treat treatment-resistant depression.
The first study of 58 subjects showed significant reduction in symptoms compared to placebo as early as week one and and continuing through week eight, the company said.
Among the findings in the second trial, enrolling 39 patients, was the observation that significantly more patients(67 percent)on Seroquel demonstrated a response to treatment than those on placebo(27 percent).
Also, substantially more of those patients achieved remission in their condition compared to patients receiving placebo (43 percent versus 15 percent).
"There is growing evidence that augmentation of antidepressant therapy with atypical antipsychotics may help improve symptoms of depression," said Greg Mattingly, associate clinical professor at the Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
"These studies are encouraging and warrant further investigation of the potential of Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate), both as a monotherapeutic agent as well as in the augmentation of SSRI/SNRI therapy, in patients with major depressive disorder."
The two studies were presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.
AstraZeneca's drug is currently approved for the treatment of acute manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder and the treatment of schizophrenia. The company is seeking additional approval of Seroquel to treat patients with depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder, and is currently testing the product as a therapy for major depressive disorder.
