AstraZeneca’s Seroquel XR effective in depression
AstraZeneca Plc’s extended release version of its blockbuster schizophrenia drug Seroquel has proved effective in treating depression, the company said on Wednesday, opening up a potential new market for the product.
Clinical data showed patients with major depressive disorder and generalised anxiety disorder who received Seroquel XR once daily experienced significant reductions in symptom severity compared with those on placebo in each of three trials.
The effect was seen with all of the doses of the drug tested, researchers reported at the 7th International Forum on Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Budapest.
Seroquel XR is viewed as a key product for the Anglo-Swedish group, which is struggling with a sparse pipeline of new drugs.
Martin Brecher, AstraZeneca’s executive director of medical science, said the data was “very encouraging” and suggested Seroquel XR could become a new treatment option, particularly for patients who do not respond to existing antidepressants.
AstraZeneca – shares in which were up 1.6 percent to 22.97 pounds after the news – plans to make regulatory submissions seeking approval to use Seroquel XR in depression in 2008.
Paul Diggle, industry analyst at Nomura Code Securities, said the new indication could be a valuable addition to the franchise.
“It’s probably going to be used where existing antidepressants aren’t really cutting it – but that’s still a pretty decent market. I think we are talking about hundreds of millions of extra dollars in sales rather than doubling it up,” he said.
The original version of Seroquel, launched in 1997, achieved sales of $2.94 billion worldwide in the first nine months of 2007 as a treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. But its future is uncertain, since generic drugmakers are challenging patents protecting its exclusivity.
The new patented follow-on version of the medicine, Seroquel XR, is designed to extend the brand life. It was launched in the key U.S. market earlier this year.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by David Holmes)