The debate about the relative importance of T cells and B cells in the pathogenesis of MS will be refueled with the long-awaited publication of the results of the failed ATAMS study of atacicept (Kappos et al. Lancet Neurol 2014;13:353-363). Preliminary results from the two atacicept studies, ATAMS in relapsing MS and ATON in optic neuritis, were presented at ECTRIMS 2011 (Kappos et al. Abstract 107; Sergott et al. Abstract P436) and signalled the death knell for the drug in MS. Read More
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Cognitive function in PD: gender effect?
August 20, 2014Sex differences have been reported in Parkinson’s disease, notably with respect to a lower incidence and less severe motor symptoms in females.
For example, in the Oxford PD Disease Center discovery cohort study, males demonstrated a pattern of more symmetrical and severe symptoms in the upper body whereas postural problems were more evident in women (Szewczyk et al. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2014;20:99-105). Non-motor symptoms of cognitive impairment, REM behaviour disorder, orthostatic hypotension and sexual dysfunction, were more common in men. Read More
Amyloid-beta in CSF: meta-analysis of accuracy in diagnosis
August 20, 2014A meta-analysis has concluded that amyloid-beta1-42 in CSF is useful for discriminating Alzheimer’s disease from controls (Rosa et al. J Alzheimers Dis 2014; epublished January 21, 2014). Read More
Long-acting injectable aripiprazole approved in Canada
August 13, 2014Aripiprazole data summary: efficacy and safety results
Underutilization of LAIs
Commentary by Dr. Ofer Agid, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
A once-monthly long-acting injectable (LAI) formulation of aripiprazole (Abilify Maintena; Otsuka Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.) has now been approved by Health Canada for maintenance treatment of adult patients with schizophrenia.
It is the first partial dopamine agonist to become available as an LAI. Aripiprazole once-monthly (OM) was previously approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2013. Read More