Anxiety treatment update
AstraZeneca announced new Seroquel XR™ (extended release quetiapine fumarate) clinical study data in patients with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), presented at the 21st European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress in Barcelona. In this study, extended release quetiapine fumarate significantly improved symptoms of anxiety at Week 8 compared with placebo and this was observed as early as day 4. The active comparator arm, escitalopram 10mg/day, was also effective at improving symptoms of GAD at week 8 compared with placebo although improvement was not observed at day 4.
During their lifetimes, it is estimated between 2.7% and 5.4% of people in Europe will suffer from GAD.1 Characteristic symptoms include chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry and tension - it is often accompanied by depression or other anxiety disorders2,3 - and it has a substantial negative impact on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), productivity at work (including absenteeism) and healthcare costs1.
Antidepressants (SSRIs (selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) are standard treatments that are generally effective but approximately 30 percent of patients treated with SSRIs or SNRIs will have an inadequate response4. Additionally, they may have a relatively slow onset of action, sometimes requiring combination with a short course of benzodiazepines (BZDs) to achieve initial symptom control - however, BZDs may have the potential for dependence and withdrawal symptoms..
New treatments for rheumatoid arthritis
Three new drugs mark a new era for rheumatoid arthiritis treatment, according to work by an international research team including Professor Paul Emery from the New treatments for rheumatoid arthritis University of Leeds.
The team studied rituximab, abatacept and tocilizumab and examined their effects as sole therapies and their effectiveness when combined with existing treatments. They looked at the how the disease develops and other potential approaches to treatment and also provided a comprehensive overview on ways to assess treatment response.
The authors concluded all three new drugs diminish signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and improve physical function and health status, and retard progression of joint damage—thus expanding the range of treatments to fight rheumatoid arthritis. The disease is the most common of all chronic inflammatory joint diseases, affecting around one in fifty people in the UK. Typical symptoms are joint pain, stiffness, and swelling which over time, your joints become damaged and stop working properly.
