New Medication Options for Bipolar-Associated Depressions?

Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, industry-funded studies designed for FDA approvals of atypical antipsychotics are sure to capture the interest of patients and clinicians grappling with bipolar-associated depressions.

Durgam and colleagues assigned 584 patients with bipolar I depression to cariprazine, a partial D₃ and D₂ receptor agonist, or placebo (female, 62%; mean age, 42; mean illness duration, 15 years). Cariprazine 1.5 mg/day was associated with significant improvement at week 6 on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), with a medium-to-large effect size (response, 50% vs. 32% with placebo; remission, 37% vs. 20%; number needed to treat [NNT], 6). The cariprazine treatment group had few adverse effect…