MinTankesmie

Maternal Use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, Fetal Growth, and Risk of Adverse Birth Outcomes
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012 (Published online March 5)
(...) Context Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are frequently prescribed to pregnant women, but knowledge about their unintended effects on child health is scarce. (...)

Conclusions Untreated maternal depression was associated with slower rates of fetal body and head growth. Pregnant mothers treated with SSRIs had fewer depressive symptoms and their fetuses had no delay in body growth but had delayed head growth and were at increased risk for preterm birth. Further research on the implications of these findings is needed. (...)

SSRI-antidepressiva til gravide øker risikoen for høyt blodtrykk i lungene hos barnet
fhi.no 13.1.2012
Kvinner som behandles med antidepressive legemidler av typen SSRI under siste del av graviditeten har en økt risiko for å føde barn med vedvarende høyt blodtrykk i lungene. Det viser en ny studie utført av forskere fra de fem nordiske landene. Fra Norge har forskere ved Folkehelseinstituttet deltatt.

Studien er en såkalt kohortstudie og har vært koordinert av Karolinska Institutet i Stockholm med aktivt bidrag fra forskere ved Folkehelseinstituttet i Oslo. Artikkelen publiseres i det vitenskapelige tidsskriftet British Medical Journal (BMJ). (...)

(Anm: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy and risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension in the newborn: population based cohort study from the five Nordic countries. BMJ 2012;344:d8012 (12 January).)

Prozac killer will be out of jail in less than a year
torontosun.com 4.11.2011
WINNIPEG - A young man who stabbed his friend to death while under the influence of Prozac will be out of jail in less than a year.

Seth Ottenbreit was just 15 when he was killed while visiting his then-16-year-old friend's home in September 2009.

On Friday, Judge Robert Heinrichs sentenced the now-18-year-old man to seven years custody and community supervision -- the maximum youth sentence for second-degree murder. With credit for time served, the man will spend just 10 1/2 more months in custody. (...)

Judge Agrees Prozac Turned Teen into Murderer--Per Testimony of Psychiatrist Peter Breggin MD (Dommer enig i at Prozac fikk tenåring til å drepe)
marketwatch.com 3.10.2011
Antidepressant Caused a Stimulant-like Syndrome Leading to Manic-like Behavior, Suicidality and Violence (...)

Judge agrees Prozac made teen a killer (Dommer enig i at Prozac fikk tenåring til å drepe)
winnipegfreepress.com 17.9.2011
Declines to move case to adult court

A Winnipeg teen was driven to commit an unprovoked murder because of the adverse affects of taking Prozac, a Manitoba judge has ruled. (...)

Depressionsmedicin under graviditet:
Tal med lægen om fordele og ulemper
medicinmedfornuft.dk 1.5.2011
Hvilken medicin kan være risikabel under graviditet?

Medicin med det virksomme paroxetin (Seroxat, Paroxetin) har vist en let øget risiko for medfødte misdannelser, herunder hjertemisdannelser, i 1-3 måned (1. trimester). Den eventuelle risiko svarer ca. til, at risikoen for at føde et barn med misdannelser er øget med ca. 1 % i forhold til, hvis moderen ikke har fået et SSRI. Det betyder én graviditet mere ud af 100 graviditeter end normalt. (...)

Stoffet fluoxetin (Fontex, Fondur, Fluoxetin, Flutin mfl.) har på det seneste vist en lignende øget risiko for hjerte-kar misdannelser som paroxetin. Lægemiddelstyrelsen har siden 2004 fået indberetninger om 2 dødsfald af nyfødte af mødre, der har taget fluoxetin. Dette ud af i alt 20 indberetninger om bivirkninger ved nyfødte børn hos kvinder, der har brugt antidepressiv medicin under graviditet. Derfor anbefaler vi fortsat, at fluoxetin ikke er førstevalg under graviditet, men at man primært vælger et andet SSRI.

Man bør desuden være særligt tilbageholdende med at bruge de nyeste antidepressiva, hvis sikkerhed under graviditet er mindre kendt. Det gælder blandt andet medicin med escitalopram (Cipralex, Seroplex, Entact, Esertia), venlafaxin (Efexor, Vandral, Venlafaxin), duloxetin (Cymbalta, Xeristar, Yentreve) og mirtazapin (Arintapin, Mirtazapin, Combar, Remeron).

Nyere studier har desuden vist, at nyfødte børn har en forøget risiko for at få et alvorligt fald i blodets indhold af ilt lige efter fødslen (Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn, PPHN), hvis deres mødre har fået en medicin med SSRI i graviditeten. Faldet i iltindhold skyldes, at et højt blodtryk i lungerne hindrer den normale åbning af barnets lungeblodkar. Normalt kan ca. 2 ud af 1000 graviditeter resultere i denne lidelse, mens det ved brug af et SSRI er øget til 5 ud af 1000. Risikoen synes ikke at være øget ved brug af anden antidepressiv medicin (trisykliske antidepressiva, TCA). (...)

(Anm: - Antikolinerge effekter av vanlige legemidler knyttet til økt dødelighet (BMJ 2011; 342:d4037 (28 June).)

A Second Pathway For Antidepressants: Berkeley Lab Reports New Fluorescent Assay Reveals TREK1 Mechanism
medicalnewstoday.com 8.2.2011
Using a unique and relatively simple cell-based fluorescent assay they developed, scientists with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California (UC), Berkeley have identified a means by which fluoxetine, the active ingredient in Prozac, suppresses the activity of the TREK1 potassium channel. TREK1 activity has been implicated in mood regulation and could be an important target for fluoxetine and other antidepressant drugs. (...)

PROZAC LAWSUIT (PROZAC SØKSMÅL)
pennlive.com 29.11.2010
Inmate says drug prompted him to kill father

For 14 years, Kurt Danysh has been sitting in prison, serving time for a murder he claims Prozac prompted him to commit.

The Susquehanna County man was 18 and had just started taking the anti-depressant drug when he killed his father in 1996 by having him kneel and shooting him in the back of the head.

Danysh has claimed since his arrest that Prozac altered his mind and made him a killer. (...)

Onset of psoriasis during therapy with fluoxetine (Psoriasis etter oppstart med Prozac (fluoxetine))
Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2010 Jul-Aug;32(4):446.e9-446.e10. Epub 2009 Sep 24.
OBJECTIVE: Psoriasis is a commonly diagnosed skin disorder that requires a long-term management and can have a profound impact on the quality of life of patients. Drugs that have been associated with the precipitation or exacerbation of psoriasis include lithium, beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agents and antimalarials. Despite extensive use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in clinical practice, there have been very few reports of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-related psoriasis. The main purpose of this study was to report fluoxetine-induced psoriasis in two Chinese women. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Although both patients had been taking fluoxetine for an extended period of time, the time scale of these two case studies suggests that fluoxetine played a causative role in these patients' psoriasis. (...)

(Anm: Ulike typer psoriasis (nhi.no).)

Study Finds Prozac Birth Defects, Other Adverse Reactions (Studie viser at Prozac forårsaker fødselsdefekter, og andre uheldige reaksjoner)
lawyersandsettlements.com 6.7.2010
Copenhagen, Denmark: A recent Danish study found a high number of Prozac birth defects among the children of women who took the drug while pregnant. (...)

"We are constantly reminded about the dangers of alcohol use and smoking during pregnancy, but there is no information offered to women with regards to use of psychotropic medication," researcher Lisa Aagaard said in a statement. "There is simply not enough knowledge available in this area."

Researchers found that 42 percent of the reactions were linked to psychostimulants like Ritalin, 31 percent to antidepressants such as Prozac and 24 to anti-psychotics like Haldol. (...)

More Questions About Paxil Side Effects (Flere spørsmål om Seroxats (Paxils) sideeffekter)
lawyersandsettlements.com 29.5.2010
Chicago, IL: En ny artikkel i ScienceNews reiser spørsmål om risiko for Seroxats (Paxils) sideeffekter og fødselsdefekter hos barn eksponert for antidepressiva før fødselen. Artikkelen referer til studier som antyder udefinerbare forandringer i hjernene til babyer eksponert for antidepressiva av typen selektive serotoninreopptakshemmere (SSRIer). Seroxat (Paxil) er et av legemidlene i SSRI-klassen. (Chicago, IL: A new article in ScienceNews raises questions about the risk of Paxil side effects and Paxil birth defects in children exposed to the antidepressant prior to birth. The article cites studies that suggest subtle changes in the brains of babies exposed to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants. Paxil is one of the drugs in the SSRI class.)

According to the author of the ScienceNews (06/05/10) article, Susan Gaidos, studies conducted in the past few years indicate that mice and rats exposed to antidepressants either just before or just after birth grew up anxious and depressed. A more recent study, according to Gaidos, suggests that children exposed to antidepressants while in the womb are more likely to appear sad or withdrawn at three years old than those not exposed to antidepressants.

Serotonin is produced naturally in the brain and is released into the spaces between the person's neurons. The neuron that releases the serotonin then takes it back almost immediately. This is called reuptake. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors work by preventing serotonin's reuptake. The longer serotonin remains in the space between neurons (known as the synapse), the better the person feels. People who are depressed may feel less so because the serotonin remains in the synapse for longer. (...)

(Anm: Seroxat (Paxil) (paroxetine; paroksetin) (SSRI) (mintankesmie.no).)

Doctors Warn of the Risk of Lexapro Birth Defects (Leger advarer mot fødselsdefekter for Lexapro)
lawyersandsettlements.com 16.5.2010
Washington, DC: Women experiencing postpartum and prenatal depression have been known to use popular antidepressants like Lexapro or Zoloft to treat their psychosis. However, a number of doctors have come out against the prescription of these medications for pregnant women due to their increased risk of newborn birth defects. (...)

(Anm: Antidepressiva (SSRI) (mintankesmie.no).)

(Anm: Antidepressiva (nytteverdi) (mintankesmie.no).)

Coroner's court probes dead youth's use of Prozac
nzherald.co.nz 3.2.2010
Eighteen months after Toran Henry killed himself, his mother finally gets to have her say on whether an anti-depressant had an influence on his death. Chris Barton looks at the case that has raised questions about the drug's use (...)

Toran's mother is adamant Toran was caught in the grip of a medication induced "activation syndrome" - a cluster of symptoms including irritability, agitation, aggressiveness, impulsiveness and mood swings - that have been linked to an increased risk of suicide. (...)

[Serotonin syndrome: report of a fatal case and review of the literature] (Serotonin syndrom: rapport om dødelig tilfelle og gjennomgang av litteratur)
Rev Clin Esp. 2002 Apr;202(4):209-11.
We report here the case of a patient with fluoxetine and selegiline induced serotonin syndrome, which presented as encephalopathy, generalized myoclonias, fever, stiffness and sweating, complicated with acute renal failure, rhabdomyolysis and disseminated intravascular coagulation findings. The patient died 6 days after admission. This syndrome is discussed, with an analysis of its causes, pathophysiology and therapy. A special emphasis is placed on the clinical issues and differential diagnosis with the malignant neuroleptic syndrome and other clinical entities with which it could be mistaken. General recommendations are provided to avoid this poorly characterized syndrome that, as in our patient, may have a fatal outcome. (...)

Probable fluoxetine-induced carotidynia (Sannsynlig karotidyni forårsaket av fluoxetine (Prozac))
The Lancet 2009;374(9695):1061-1062 (26 September)
Carotidynia is a focal cervical pain that involves the anatomical territory of the affected carotid artery and often radiates to the ipsilateral side of the face or ear. On the basis of medical history and age, carotidynia has been conventionally classified into classic (non-migrainous), migrainous, and vascular variants. 1 To our knowledge, iatrogenic carotidynia is an unknown or at least unreported phenomenology. (...)

(Anm: carotidynia (en.wikipedia.org).)

(Anm: Carotidynia: a pain syndrome. J Fam Pract. 1994 Jul;39(1):71-5.)

(Anm: MR Imaging of Patients with Carotidynia. American Journal of Neuroradiology 21:766-769 (4 2000).)

(Anm: karotidyni; smerter i hals og nakke med stråling til kjevevinkel og tinning, halsårene (karotidane) er svært såre å ta på; finst helst hos yngre kvinner EN carotidynia Kilde: Norsk medisinsk ordbok.)

Lilly moves on from Prozac to Cymbalta
upi.com 23.8.2009
INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Eli Lilly and Co., based in Indiana, has overcome the loss of revenue when its blockbuster drug Prozac went off-patent nine years ago, company officials said.

By the time Prozac's patent expired in 2001, it was responsible for more than one-third of Lilly's revenue. The company laid off employees but went on to introduce replacements, notably Cymbalta. (...)

Anti-depressants can damage men's sperm (Antidepressiva kan skade menns spermie)
chicagotribune.com 12.6.2009
Add anti-depressants to the list of substances that can damage men’s sperm and potentially impair their fertility.

In a new study, New York researchers report that as many as half of men taking the anti-depressant paroxetine (brand names, Seroxat and Paxil) have higher levels of sperm fragmentation.

The study was published online today by the journal Fertility & Sterility.

“It’s fairly well known that SSRI anti-depressants negatively impact erectile function and ejaculation. This study goes on step further, demonstrating that they can cause a major increase in genetic damage to sperm,” said Dr. Peter Schlegel, the study’s senior author and professor of reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.

“Although this study doesn’t look directly at fertility, we can infer that as many as half of men taking SSRIs have a reduced ability to conceive. These men should talk with their physicians about their treatment options,” he added. (...)

Dr. Cigdem Tanrikut speculated that the anti-depressant caused mens’ sperm to slow down as it makes its way through the male reproductive tract. Sperm gets “hung up,” she said in a statement, allowing it to age and become damaged.

The amount, concentration and motility of sperm were not significantly changed by the medication.

Though men may not know it, sperm can be damaged by various substances, including smoking, alcohol, heat, anabolic steroids, drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and some environmental exposures. (...)

(Anm: Antidepressiva (SSRI) (mintankesmie.no).)

Adverse effect of paroxetine on sperm (Uheldig virkning av Seroxat (paroxetine) på sædceller)
Fertility and Sterility (American Society for Reproductive Medicine)
published online 10 June 2009.
Objective
To assess the effects of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor on semen parameters. (...)

Patient(s)
Thirty-five healthy male volunteers, 18–65 years old.
Intervention(s)
Paroxetine administration for 5 weeks. (...)

Conclusion(s)
In men with normal semen parameters, paroxetine induced abnormal sperm DNA fragmentation in a significant proportion of subjects, without a measurable effect on semen parameters. The fertility potential of a substantial number of men on paroxetine may be adversely affected by these changes in sperm DNA integrity. (...)

The Bad Daddy Factor
miller-mccune.com 10.12.2010
Drinking, smoking, taking prescription meds or failing to eat a balanced diet can influence the health of men’s future children. (...)

Drugs can also interfere with sperm transport. A 2009 study revealed that a standard dose of paroxetine — the active drug in the antidepressant marketed as Paxil — causes a fivefold increase in the number of men who show evidence of “sperm fragmentation,” which can increase the chances of miscarriage. Researchers have known that certain antidepressants can influence ejaculatory response; it turns out that they seem to slow the transportation of sperm through the male reproductive system, causing the cells to age prematurely. “Sperm are being damaged because they’re not traveling properly through the body,” says Peter Schlegel, who led the study and is a urologist at New York’s Weill Cornell Medical College. (...)

(Anm: paroksetin (paroxetine); markesføres i Norge under handelsnavn som bl.a. Seroxat; Paxil i USA.)

Lilly's Zyprexa/Prozac Combo Approved for Depression
pharmexec.findpharma.com 25.3.2009
Eli Lilly, on Monday, received approval to market its bipolar disorder treatment Symbyax—a combination of the antipsychotic Zyprexa and the antidepressant Prozac—to patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Symbyax becomes the first drug approved for TRD.

Symbyax was approved as a bipolar treatment in 2003, and Lilly has been trying diligently to expand its indications to patients with that haven’t responded to traditional drug therapies.

“We define treatment-resistant depression patients as people who fail to respond to at least two different anti-depressants in their current episode of depression,” said Sara Corya, medical director at Eli Lilly. “You can imagine, that a patient at that stage is thinking that nothing is going to work for them. Those are the folks that we feel will be appropriate for Symbyax.” (...)

Schoolboy who killed man and attacked his wife 'blames Prozac' (Skolegutt som drepte mann og angrep hans kone "legger skylden på Prozac")
dailymail.co.uk 13.1.2009
A 15-year-old boy battered a man to death and tried to kill a woman after claims his personality changed a month after he began taking Prozac, a court heard.

Defence lawyers for the unnamed boy will argue that he was driven to club the man more than 30 times after taking the popular anti-depressant.

Chelmsford Crown Court in Essex will hear scientific evidence in an attempt to prove the drug, also known as Fluoxetine, can cause 'violent impulses' which can drive someone to kill. (...)

Sex offenders volunteer for 'chemical castration' drug treatment
telegraph.co.uk 27.12.2008
Sex offenders are being given drugs which lower their libido and make it difficult for them to reoffend, in a voluntary scheme introduced by Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary.

So far 11 men have put themselves forward for the pioneering project, according to the Ministry of Justice.

Those receiving the treatment, which has been dubbed “chemical castration”, include prison inmates and offenders who have been released from custody and are living in the community.

They are being given Prozac, which reduces their sex drive, or other categories of drugs known as anti-androgens.

Ministers are now being asked to set up a national clinic dedicated to handing out the medication to paedophiles and rapists who volunteer for the treatment. (...)

Antidepressant enhances chemotherapy drug
upi.com 24.12.2008
TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Researchers in Israel say a popular antidepressant enhances the effect of an anticancer drug used with colon cancer.

The Tel Aviv University study validates that the antidepressant with the chemical name fluoxetine and the trade name of Prozac regularly prescribed to ease the emotional pain of those with cancer also helps enhance the effect of the colon cancer drug doxorubicin by more than 1,000 percent.

Prozac worked to block the cancer drug from leaving the interior of the cancer cell and poisoning the healthy non-cancerous cells that surrounded it. (...)

Strong Link Found Between Two Antidepressants and Infant Heart Problems (Sterk link funnet mellom to antidepressiva og spedbarns hjerteproblemer)
depression.about.com 25.11.2008
Women who took the antidepressants Prozac (fluoxetine) or Paxil (paroxetine) in their first trimester were significantly more likely to give birth to babies with heart problems than women who did not take them, according to a new study published in the November issue of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. (...)

(Anm: British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Paroxetine and fluoxetine in pregnancy: a prospective, multicentre, controlled, observational study 2008;66: 695-705.)

ANTIDEPRESSANTS MAKE FOR SAD FISH (Antidepressiva bidrar til trist fisk)
SCIENCENEWS.ORG 25.11.2008
The drugs are becoming more common in river waters and can play dangerous head games with fish

UBEKVEM POSITUR Noen hybride stripede abborer utsatt for Prozac begynte til slutt å henge vertikalt i vannet — en høyst avvikende stilling — og sluttet å spise. (...) (AWKWARD POSE Some hybrid striped bass exposed to Prozac eventually began hanging vertically in the water — a highly anomalous pose — and stopped eating.)

Tons of medicine ends up in the environment each year. Much has been excreted by patients. Leftover pills may also have been flushed down the toilet. Because water treatment plants were never designed to remove pharmaceuticals, water released into rivers by these plants generally carries a broad and diverse array of drug residues.

In 2006, a pair of chemists reported that antidepressants downstream of water treatment plants were making it into the brains of fish. (...)

Grandparents sue makers of Prozac over Friendswood doctor's death
txcn.com 10.11.2008
HOUSTON—A civil trial was set to begin Monday to decide if a pharmaceutical company has any responsibility in the shooting death of a Friendswood doctor. (...)

Single Dose of Fluoxetine Increases Muscle Activation in Chronic Stroke Patients
Clin Neuropharmacol. 2008 Oct 23. [Epub ahead of print]
(...) CONCLUSIONS:: In this pilot study, it was found that fluoxetine influences motor output in chronic stroke patients. Therefore, fluoxetine may influence motor recovery after stroke. Additional studies have to be conducted to explore the effects of fluoxetine on motor recovery after stroke. (...)

Flare-up of pustular psoriasis with fluoxetine: Possibility of a serotoninergic influence?
J Dermatolog Treat. 2008 Oct 10:1-3. [Epub ahead of print]
In this article, we report two cases of pustular psoriasis flaring up after fluoxetine administration. A 21-year-old male patient with localized pustular psoriasis became erythrodermic following commencement of fluoxetine. (...)

A serotoninergic influence in the etiopathogenesis of psoriasis may be possible together with a pharmacogenetic difference in the drug metabolism of these patients. Considering the two patients we presented and the patients previously reported in the literature, aggravation of pustular psoriasis by SSRI should be borne in mind. (...)

New Mexico Prozac Murder-Suicide Case Takes Another Twist
law.lexisnexis.com 9.10.2008
Mark Gilbert Rimbert’s case against Prozac maker Eli Lilly & Co. just keeps heating up, but this time the turmoil involves Judge James O. Browning, who was taken off the case today after informing attorneys that his son recently attempted suicide after his psychiatrist prescribed Prozac to him. (...)

Persistent dystonia induced by fluoxetine
Intern Med J. 2008 Aug;38(8):672-4.
Serotonin-selective re-uptake inhibitors are prescribed widely because they are regarded as having less severe side-effects compared with tricyclics and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. With this popularity, increasing attention has been drawn to their adverse effects. Development of extrapyramidal symptoms has been reported in some patients while taking fluoxetine, a commonly used serotonin-selective re-uptake inhibitor. Here, we report a case of persistent dystonia, thought to be associated with short-term fluoxetine use, which required treatment with botulinum toxin type A. (...)

(Anm: dystonia; dystoni; endring i muskulaturens spenningstilstand, ofte i form av ufrivillige muskelsammentrekninger (f.eks. i nakkemuskulaturen og svelgmuskulaturen. Dystoni kan være symptom ved indremedisinske og nevrologiske sykdommer, men kan også opptre som bivirkning av legemidler som blokkerer signalsubstansen dopamin. Akutte dystonier sees hos yngre menn noen dager etter at vedkommende har begynt på relativt høye doser med nevroleptika. (...) Ved akutte dystonier på grunn av legemidler er behandlingen tilførsel av antiparkinsonmidler. Kilde: Store norske leksikon.)

Infertility fear over drugs for depressed
metro.co.uk 24.9.2008
Millions of men who take anti-depressants are risking infertility, researchers warn. They could be damaging the DNA of their sperm by using the common drug, Paroxetine, tests show.

The proportion of sperm damaged more than doubled from 13.8 per cent to 30.3 per cent after four weeks of taking the drug, researchers claimed.
The sperm recovered when Paroxetine use was halted but were damaged again within days of resuming.

Reproduction expert Dr Allan Pacey said: 'The apparent increase in sperm DNA damage is alarming.' More than one in ten people in Britain suffer from depression.

Paroxetine and Prozac – both known as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors – account for half of the 34million prescriptions to treat it.
Studies have linked SSRIs to problems such as loss of libido, erection problems and a failure to orgasm. (...)

The creation of the Prozac myth
guardian.co.uk 27.2.2008
In the 20 years since its launch, 40m people worldwide have taken the so-called wonder drug - but research revealed this week shows that Prozac, and similar antidepressants, are no more effective than a sugar pill. So how was the myth created? Psychoanalyst Darian Leader traces the irrepressible rise of the multibillion dollar depression industry, while others explore the clinical and cultural impact of Prozac, its perceived personal benefits - and sometimes terrible costs (...)

It is only very recently that this has become a legal obligation. In the heyday of antidepressant PR, only about 10% of results about how the drugs affected quality of life were published. More than two-thirds of studies today are industry funded, and such research is four times as likely to find in favour of the drugs than independent inquiry. It is hardly surprising, then, that research has tended to give a positive spin to antidepressants. (...)

Eli Lilly 4Q Earnings Rise Sharply
forbruker.no 29.1.2008
INDIANAPOLIS - Drug maker Eli Lilly & Co. said Tuesday its fourth-quarter profit surged from a year-ago period which included hefty restructuring and costs and liability charges related to its anti-psychotic drug, Zyprexa.

For the quarter ended Dec. 31, the Indianapolis-based company earned $854.4 million, or 78 cents per share, compared with $132.3 million, or 12 cents per share, a year ago. Excluding certain restructuring and acquisition charges, adjusted earnings rose 10 percent to 90 cents per share from 82 cents per share.

Revenue rose 22 percent to $5.19 billion from $4.25 billion, benefiting partly from a 10 percent rise in Zyprexa sales. (...)

Diana driver 'was twice over the limit'
timesonline.co.uk 22.1.2008
Henri Paul may have drunk the equivalent of a litre of strong wine before driving himself, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed to their deaths in a Paris tunnel, it was claimed yesterday. (...)

Robert Forrest, Professor of Forensic Toxicology at Sheffield University, said that his calculations were approximate and admitted that there had been some deficiencies in the French testing procedure. But he said: “I have no major reservations about the interpretation of these results.” Traces of Prozac were also found in Mr Paul’s body. (...)

Eli Lilly shares fall on report in journal
indystar.com 19.1.2008
Drug maker takes issue with review that suggests benefits of antidepressants were inflated

Shares of Eli Lilly and Co. and other antidepressant drug makers traded lower Friday after a report in the New England Journal of Medicine cast doubt as to whether the drugs are as effective as the pharmaceutical industry claims.
The report, published Thursday, reviewed data from studies covering 12 antidepressants and found the majority of trials with negative outcomes weren't published. (...)

Prozac and Hack Your Own Happiness
wired.com 18.1.2008
(...) The vast majority of the 227 million prescriptions for antidepressants in 2006, he notes, were for people in the second category. Barber lambastes the drug industry for its attempt to turn "the worried well" into customers; he also takes aim at the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for according disorder status to conditions like social anxiety and adjusting to a cross-country move. "Nonsense," Barber writes, "anger, greed, laziness, impulsivity, as well as jealousy, lust, anguish, and so on, are simply part of the human predicament. They are not medical conditions." (...)

(Anm: Antidepressiva (SSRI) (mintankesmie.no).)

Mutor skulle bana vägen för Prozac
lakemedelsvarlden.se 30.11.2007
Samtidigt som läkemedlet Prozac gjorde succé i många länder runt om i världen blev det tvärstopp i Sverige. Här godkändes det först nästan tio år senare, och då med namnet Fontex. Nu publicerar John Virapen, tidigare vd för Eli Lilly i Sverige, sin självbiografi som bland annat avslöjar vad som hände bakom kulisserna när Prozac skulle godkännas. (...)

Hans självbiografi ”Biverkningsdöd – korruption inom läkemedelsindustrin, en före detta vd talar ut” är hans andra bok som baseras på hans sammanlagt 30 år i läkemedelsbranschen. Förra året publicerade han i Tyskland den skönlitterära romanen ”Rubio talar ut” där många faktauppgifter utelämnades. I den nya boken talar han klarspråk om vad som egentligen hände. (...)

Varför var det så viktigt att få det godkänt i Sverige?
– Sverige hade ett mycket högt anseende i hela världen när det gäller psykiatri och fick vi det godkänt här skulle det gå snabbt i resten av världen, säger John Virapen. (...)

John Virapen studerade expertens vanor och hans stora fritidsintresse segling i detalj innan han tog kontakt och, med ett svepskäl, föreslog en middag på en restaurang. Och den middagen följdes av flera innan John Virapen tordes ställa den avgörande frågan.

– Han sa att det var en skitprodukt. Han tyckte inte om fluoxetin. Men vi måste ha den registrerad och vi tänkte inte vänta i sju år, säger John Virapen.

– Så jag frågade honom vad som skulle krävas för att han skulle få produkten godkänd snabbt. Han skrattade först och sedan sa han ”Pengar är ju alltid bra”. Och då hade jag honom på kroken, säger John Virapen. (...)

Paedophiles offered 'happy pills' to curb their sex drive (Pedofile tilbudt "lykkepiller" for dempe å sexlyst)
dailymail.co.uk 14.11.2007
Det er kommet frem at pedofile tilbys gratis Prozac som alternativ til "kjemisk kastraksjon". (Paedophiles are to be offered free Prozac as a softer alternative to 'chemical castration', it has emerged.)

The Government secured headlines this summer when it promised offenders would be given - on a voluntary basis - strong medication to curb their sex drive.

However, these drugs, which amount to chemical castration by making it difficult to have sex, have a number of side-effects which could deter potential users. (...)

Diana inquest: Henri Paul's parents were told he wasn't drunk
dailymail.co.uk 3.10.2007
(...) Tests carried out on blood and other body samples after his death indicate that Paul was twice the legal limit when he died.

These range between 1.74g to 1.87grammes per litre of blood. The legal limit in France is 0.5 per litre.

Further tests showed that Paul had been taking a cocktail of drugs including prozac to combat depression and sleeping pills for insomnia.

His close friend and doctor, Dominic Melo, has told how he also prescribed him Aotol, a drug to stop cravings for alcohol after Paul said he had become concerned about his drinking and was suffering feelings of 'isolation'. (...)

Prozac linked to osteoporosis
telegraph.co.uk 26.6.2007
Common anti-depressants may increase the risk of osteoporosis in the elderly, new research suggests.

Two separate American studies found that people who used Prozac and Seroxat developed thinner bones than those who did not take them. (...)

(Anm: Use of Antidepressants and Rates of Hip Bone Loss in Older Women: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. Arch Intern Med 2007;167 1240-1245.)

Association of Low Bone Mineral Density With Selective Serotonin Reuptake
Inhibitor Use by Older Men Bliziotes; for the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study Group. Arch Intern Med 2007;167 1246-1251.)

Neuropharm Raises £20M To Fund CNS Development Pipeline
bioworld.com 7.3.2007
LONDON - Neuropharm Group plc raised £20 million (US$38.4 million) in a listing on London's Alternative Investment Market, enabling it to attempt to take Prozac as a treatment for autism through to market and advance the clinical development of three other products for treating pediatric central nervous system disorders.

The Leatherhead-based company placed 15.75 million shares at £1.27 per share, giving Neuropharm a market capitalization of about £40 million. (...)

Jury awards $350,000 after Plainfield tot given Prozac
norwichbulletin.com 13.7.2006
A jury has awarded more than $350,000 in damages for the improper delivery of Prozac to 11-month-old Madeline Mirante in 2004 by Bonneville's Pharmacy in Killingly. (...)

Head of Eli Lilly's Legal Division Works to Protect Patented Drugs
law.com 10.7.2006
Asked how often he confers with his boss at Eli Lilly and Co., General Counsel Robert A. Armitage replies dryly, "Probably more than he likes."
The 58-year-old Armitage heads Lilly's 230-person legal division, which in this litigation-happy age plays a role as critical to Lilly's fate as its scientists or sales force. (...)

Prozac effect on brain pinpointed
bbc.co.uk 26.5.2006
Researchers have discovered how the widely prescribed drug Prozac acts on the brain to counter depression.

A team at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Long Island, New York, found the drug triggers production of a type of immature brain cell.

They hope their work could aid development of new drugs and therapies for depression, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
The study appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. (...)

Research Reveals How Prozac Triggers New Brain Cell Growth
healthfinder.gov 16.5.2006
It points to one way SSRI drugs may fight depression, experts say.

-- Experts have long suspected that one way antidepressants such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft dispel depression is by stimulating the growth of new brain cells.

Now, researchers say they've zeroed in on just how that happens.

"It was clear that this generation of new neurons is important for the action of antidepressants," explained lead researcher Grigori Enikolopov, an associate professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.

His team report the findings in this week's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (...)

He believes the latest finding is another piece to add to the puzzle of how SSRI antidepressants work. However, it does not provide the entire answer. "What happens between having more neurons and decreasing depression, the changing of mood -- that is unanswered," he said. (...)

"The beauty of this study is, a new model has been generated," he said.

"This study is in essence a 'readout,' a neurogenic readout, whereby using this [mouse] model, the Enikolopov group found exactly the cell that increases its rate of proliferation," he said. "That leads to generating more neurons as a result of taking this drug."

"It could have been the stem cell, progenitor or a young neuron. They found it was the progenitor cell," Steindler said. (...)

Prozac not good cure for agressive dog
infoweb.newsbank.com 31.8.1997
(...) His advice? "Don't do it." Dogs, he claims, can suffer long-term psychological damage from being on Prozac.

One dog, Jamie, a 3-year-old pointer, wanted to chase shadows all the time. After three days on Prozac, however, she began to attack other dogs. This aggressive behavior stopped when Prozac was discontinued. (...)