Study Shows Lu AA21004 to be Effective in Elderly for Major Depressive Disorder

Lundbeck and Takeda announced that Lu AA21004, an investigational compound for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), demonstrated significant improvements in overall symptoms of depression in elderly patients. In a multinational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, active-reference, fixed-dose study elderly patients taking Lu AA21004 5mg/day showed a significantly greater (P=0.0011) improvement on the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D24) total score versus placebo at Week 8 (mean difference to placebo of 3.3 points on the HAM-D24).

Rates of HAM-D24 response (defined as a 50% or greater drop in HAM-D24 total score from baseline) were 53.2% versus 35.2% and rates of HAM-D17 remission (defined as a HAM-D17 total score less than or equal to 7) were 29.2% versus 19.3% at endpoint which were higher for Lu AA21004 than for placebo.

LuAA21004 is a 5-HT3 and 5-HT7 receptor antagonist, 5-HT1B receptor partial agonist, 5-HT1A receptor agonist and inhibitor of the serotonin 5-HT transporters.

For more information visit www.lundbeck.com.