Lamotrigine

EMA’s safety committee (PRAC) is recommending precautionary measures for the treatment of male patients with valproate medicines. These measures are to address a potential…

• Around 2% of the adult population have a bipolar disorder.
• Certain medications may be more beneficial for certain types of bipolar disorder, but how do you know which “type” you or a loved one has?
• A new approach is needed that places emphasis on “real-world” effectiveness and respects the observations of people with bipolar disorder.

Two types of bipolar disorder

• Originally called “manic-depressive psychosis”, it is now known as bipolar I disorder.
• In the mid-1990s, bipolar II disorder was defined.
• Both bipolar I and bipolar II are marked by pronounced mood swings.
• The key distinguishing feature between the two bipolar conditions is the presence of psychotic features (delusions and/or hallucinations) in those with bipolar I.

Current treatments

• Melbourne psychiatrist John Cade discovered the effectiveness of lithium as a treatment for manic depression in 1949.
• This landmark research ushered in the era of condition-specific psychopharmacology.
• Practitioners refer to research-based guidelines to determine the best medications to help stabilise a bipolar disorder.

But evidence isn’t everything

• All were “evidence-based”, but we found minimal agreement between them, thus raising questions about their validity.
• New guidelines have been published since then but the trend for minimal agreement continues.
• Assessing a psychiatric evidence base is difficult.

Accounting for side effects

• However, it has multiple side effects.
• But 50% of the completers receiving lithium experienced distinctive cognitive impairment – side effects that affected their thinking and reasoning.
• Many of the antipsychotic drugs nominated in guidelines also have major side effects, including weight gain and diabetes.
• People who are stable while taking these medications without major side effects should not be alarmed.

We want to hear from people with bipolar disorders

All these concerns highlight the need for research focused on “real-world” samples to determine the best treatments that consider each person’s responses to any medication. We are conducting such a study now, in collaboration with the Black Dog Institute. If you are interested, you can access the study here. Gordon Parker receives funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.

• A national holiday with a global reach, DRESS Syndrome Day highlights progress and future insights into severe adverse drug reactions.
• "There is still so much we don't understand about this severe and potentially fatal drug reaction," explains Tasha Tolliver, Executive Director and Co-Founder of DRESS Syndrome Foundation.
• Additionally, Dr. Korman's team identified a unique "earlobe crease sign" that distinguishes DRESS from other severe adverse drug reactions, facilitating faster and more accurate diagnosis.
• "We founded the DRESS Syndrome Foundation to fill a much-needed gap in patient advocacy, a gap that today would have saved our daughters lives," says Nancy Szakacsy, Co-Founder of DRESS Syndrome Foundation.

• DEER PARK, Ill., May 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eton Pharmaceuticals, Inc (Nasdaq: ETON), an innovative pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing treatments for rare diseases, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022.
• For the first quarter of 2022, Eton reported revenue of $2.2 million from product sales and royalties, representing a 100% increase from the fourth quarter of 2021.
• Eton reported no licensing revenue in the first quarter of 2022, compared with $11.5 million in the prior year period.
• Eton reported diluted earnings per share (EPS) of ($0.21) in the first quarter of 2022, compared with $0.19 in the first quarter of 2021.