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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by ryan_s on February 29, 2000, at 9:26:43
I visited my new psychologist dr calabrese for the first time today (tuesday). he is doing research with new antidepressant medications. calabrese want me to enroll in a study that has to do with the antidepressant TAK-637. i am willing to take place in the study, since ssris and naris do not work for me. the only problem is that there is absolutely nothing on the web about TAK-637. does anyone out there have experience or have information about this novel antidepressant.
thanks,
ryan_s
Posted by Cam W. on February 29, 2000, at 16:10:20
In reply to NEW ANTIDEPRESSANT: TAK-637, posted by ryan_s on February 29, 2000, at 9:26:43
Ryan - TAK-637 is a medication that is in the testing stages. There probably have been few, if any, published studies on this drug. Sometimes I am able to ask the drug company for some preliminary data, but it seems you only get that after the drug has been named. You might gets some information at your local medical college in the library. There are a couple of journals - 'Drugs of the Future' and (I think) 'New Drugs'- that list new drugs. The information in these would probably not be what you are looking for. This is why they do testing, to find out the things about a medication that you want to know. If you have any concerns about the medication, ask Dr.Calabrese to explain it to you fully. He is obligated to, since he is asking you to test the drug. He will have a lot of animal data he can explain to you. Sincerely Cam W.
Posted by AndrewB on February 29, 2000, at 16:35:05
In reply to Re: NEW ANTIDEPRESSANT: TAK-637, posted by Cam W. on February 29, 2000, at 16:10:20
Do a Pub Med search under "TAK-637" and "tachykinin receptor". I just did such a search. Apparently TAK-637 is a tachykinin NK(1) receptor antagonist like Substance P and as such may have the ability to minimize neuropathic pain, regulate the gate activity of the hippocampal network, and lessen anxiety by dampening our response to stress. Isn’t depression often ultimatley due to an HPA axis that over responds to stress? Anyway, remember that your doctor, as a researcher, may have his own agenda for wanting you to take this drug.
Posted by Adam on February 29, 2000, at 19:02:12
In reply to NEW ANTIDEPRESSANT: TAK-637, posted by ryan_s on February 29, 2000, at 9:26:43
TAK-637 operates by the same mechanism as the substance-P receptor (or, more technically, the tachykinin NK1 receptor) antagonist MK-869. The latter showed some early promise in animal models and some clinical trials, but in a larger trial was found to be no better than placebo, causing Merck to abandon that indication. (Interestingly, MK-869 performed about as well as paroxetine in one study, and this information was used by some, such as Irving Kirsch, PhD, to bolster the argument that most, if not all antidepressants are in fact little more than placebos with a lot of side-effects).
Merck promised, on the heals of the MK-869 embarassment, to deliver another, more potent drug for clinical trials in the near future, and I wonder if this is that drug, or is related. From what I read of MK-869, though, it is a pretty potent NK1 receptor antagonist, and may still have uses for such things as fibromyalgia, difficulties with urination, and relief from nausea caused by chemotherapy for cancer and AIDS.
ryan, it's up to you, or course, whether or not you enroll in this trial. I myself have had great success in the two clinical research studies that I have participated in, but I did my homework beforehand. If it were me, I would ask myself if I had really exhausted all the major antidepressant possiblities, and if I could handle spending another two months depressed should the candidate drug not work. If I were in your shoes, I would give an MAOI a trial first, or maybe a tricyclic, since it would seem you haven't tried those yet, before trying TAK-637. These NK1 receptor antagonists looked great on paper (and the idea of antidepressants that did not operate via the usual route of modulating monoamines somehow was an exciting one) but in practice have shown no efficacy in humans for depression. I would approach this with few expectations and a lot of caution.
> I visited my new psychologist dr calabrese for the first time today (tuesday). he is doing research with new antidepressant medications. calabrese want me to enroll in a study that has to do with the antidepressant TAK-637. i am willing to take place in the study, since ssris and naris do not work for me. the only problem is that there is absolutely nothing on the web about TAK-637. does anyone out there have experience or have information about this novel antidepressant.
>
> thanks,
> ryan_s
Posted by saint james on February 29, 2000, at 21:23:30
In reply to NEW ANTIDEPRESSANT: TAK-637, posted by ryan_s on February 29, 2000, at 9:26:43
> I visited my new psychologist dr calabrese for the first time today (tuesday). he is doing research with new antidepressant medications. calabrese want me to enroll in a study that has to do with the antidepressant TAK-637
James here.....
Depending on the study, you may be on a placibo (sugar pill) or active med (and double blind means you nor the doc knows) Unless you have been on all the AD's and tried polydrug treatment I don't think it is wise to try a med that has not even been proven effective for depression yet.
Did this doc have any other med ideas or is he just pushing you to do his study ?
j
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