Posted by europerep on August 27, 2010, at 3:44:02
In reply to Re: Yale trying to develop Ketamine into oral antidepr » europerep, posted by SLS on August 25, 2010, at 16:28:59
I read the article in 'Science' yesterday, and it is very interesting. it makes me wonder why they didn't do this study earlier, it doesn't even seem to be all too difficult to realize, but anyways.
what the article that philippa posted doesn't tell is that they not only used ketamine (a non-selective agent) in their tests in mice, but they also verified whether another substance discovered by roche (Ro25,6981 ; a selective NR2B-antagonist) has the same effects, both neurophysiologically and in depression and anxiety rodent models - and it does! I am not sure whether they know that this molecule does NOT produce the abuseable effects of ketamine, or whether it is only hoped so, but at least this agent is much more specific than ketamine. however, there are some reasons for why I have a hard time believing that this kind of treatment will be developed or approved anytime soon:
if it turned out that these agents treat depression very well - more effective, much shorter time of onset, etc. - this would basically equal a paradigm shift in psychiatry. the question would be whether these agents also work in non-treatment resistant depression, i.e. whether they could become first-line antidepressants. if so, a lot of people, or a lot of companies, would have a vested interest in postponing their release, so that they can get the max out of their patents on "regular" antidepressants. it wouldn't surprise me if companies paid other companies to postpone release of such new drugs until their own patents on 5HT/NE/DA-targeting drugs have expired, etc. that's essentially my main concern.in the meantime, however, anyone who is a scientist can order this Roche molecule on the internet. it's freakin' expensive of course, but if I could buy doses of it, I think I would try it. maybe I'd die, if not, I could present myself at some university for the study of its effects on humans. ;)
poster:europerep
thread:959678
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100821/msgs/960115.html