Lundbeck And Takeda's Antidepressant Brintellix Now Available In The U.S.
Lundbeck and Takeda Pharmaceuticals made a joint announcement this week regarding the launch of antidepressant Brintellix in the United States. The nationwide launch follows the drug’s initial availability in wholesalers after the FDA granted approval in September 2013.
Brintellix (vortioxetine) is used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) in adult patients. It is available as a once-daily antidepressant in a variety of doses designed to suit patients’ needs. Vortioxetine is a serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitor. It is also a partial agonist at 5-HT1B receptors and antagonist at 5-HT3, 5-HT1D, and 5-HT7 receptors. Britellix is considered to be the first and currently only compound with the unique pharmacodynamics activity combination.
Lundbeck US President Staffan Schüberg said, “Our passion for helping people living with MDD has been the inspiration for advancing Brintellix from the laboratory through clinical studies, and now into the hands of those who need it… This same passion fuels our ongoing commitment to supporting people with this often chronic and complex disease.”
Brintellix was approved based on the proven efficacy and safety of the drug during its comprehensive clinical trial program. This comprised of 7 positive pivotal studies including six 6-8 week short terms studies and one 24-64 week long term maintenance study. Results showed significant improvement in MDD patients treated with Brintellix.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals US President Douglas Cole said, “MDD continues to be a challenging condition to manage, and we are proud to make Brintellix available as a new treatment option for people struggling with major depression.”
Over 30 million people in the US alone have suffered major depressive disorder over their lifetimes. Less than half of people diagnosed with depression worldwide are treated. Clinical depression was found to be the second-leading cause of global disability in 2010.
The drug was discovered by Lundbeck researchers in Copenhagen, Denmark. Brintellix is a trademark of H. Lundbeck A/S and used under Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. license.
Source:
http://investor.lundbeck.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=820252