Dataset Information

Adjunctive brexpiprazole in patients with major depressive disorder and anxiety symptoms: post hoc analyses of three placebo-controlled studies.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Episodes of major depressive disorder (MDD) characterized by high levels of anxiety symptoms are less likely to respond to some forms of antidepressant treatment (ADT). This report examines the effects of adjunctive brexpiprazole on depressive symptoms among patients with MDD and anxiety symptoms.

Materials and methods

This was a post hoc analysis of 1,171 patients from the 6-week, randomized, double-blind phases of three studies in adults with MDD and inadequate response to ADTs (NCT01360645, NCT01360632, NCT02196506). Data were pooled for brexpiprazole 2-3 mg/day and for placebo (adjunct to ADT). Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale Total score changes were assessed in subgroups of patients with and without anxious distress (based on proxies for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition criteria) and anxious depression (defined as a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Anxiety/somatization factor score of ?7). Safety was assessed by the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs).

Results

Benefits were seen for adjunctive brexpiprazole (compared with adjunctive placebo) in both anxiety definition subgroups. For patients with anxious distress, the least squares mean difference (95% CI) at week 6 was -3.00 (-4.29, -1.71; P<0.0001) and, for those without anxious distress, was -1.38 (-2.71, -0.05; P=0.043). For patients with anxious depression, the difference was -2.19 (-3.60, -0.78; P=0.0023), compared with -2.34 (-3.58, -1.10; P=0.0002) for those without anxious depression. The most common TEAEs among patients with anxiety symptoms receiving ADT + brexpiprazole were akathisia, headache, restlessness, somnolence, and weight increase. There were no clinically meaningful differences in the rates of these TEAEs according to the presence or absence of anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion

Adjunctive brexpiprazole 2-3 mg/day may be efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms, and was well tolerated, in patients with clinically relevant anxiety symptoms.

SUBMITTER: Thase ME

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6305164 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Adjunctive brexpiprazole in patients with major depressive disorder and anxiety symptoms: post hoc analyses of three placebo-controlled studies.

Thase Michael E ME Weiller Emmanuelle E Zhang Peter P Weiss Catherine C McIntyre Roger S RS

Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment 20181220

<h4>Objective</h4>Episodes of major depressive disorder (MDD) characterized by high levels of anxiety symptoms are less likely to respond to some forms of antidepressant treatment (ADT). This report examines the effects of adjunctive brexpiprazole on depressive symptoms among patients with MDD and anxiety symptoms.<h4>Materials and methods</h4>This was a post hoc analysis of 1,171 patients from the 6-week, randomized, double-blind phases of three studies in adults with MDD and inadequate respons ...[more]

PMID: 30587996

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Project description:BackgroundThough often overlooked, calming patients and increasing their life engagement are key factors in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to test the hypothesis that adjunctive brexpiprazole increases calmness and life engagement among patients with MDD, based on clinical trial exit interviews.MethodsThis was a pooled analysis of exit interview data from three exploratory, open-label studies of adjunctive brexpiprazole 1-3 mg/day. The studies enrolled 105 outpatients with MDD (DSM-IV-TR criteria), a current depressive episode, and inadequate response to antidepressant treatment during the current episode. Patients were interviewed if they completed the end-of-treatment visit (Week 6 or Week 12, depending on the study). Exit interviews took the form of semi-structured telephone interviews in which patients were asked mostly qualitative questions about their symptoms prior to the start of the study, and about improvements they had noted during treatment. Interview transcripts were reviewed and codes were assigned to calmness and life engagement vocabulary, allowing aggregation of the frequency of improvement in various domains.Results79.8% (83/104) of patients described improvements consistent with at least one calmness term, most commonly feeling less anxious (46.2%) or less irritable (44.2%). A four-domain concept of patient life engagement was developed in which 88.6% (93/105) of patients described improvements consistent with at least one domain, specifically, emotional (77.1%), physical (75.2%), social (41.9%), and/or cognitive (36.2%). Of the patients who described improvement in calmness, 96.4% (80/83) also described improvement in life engagement.ConclusionsAnalysis of exit interview data suggests that patients were calmer and more engaged with life following treatment with adjunctive brexpiprazole. Thus, adjunctive brexpiprazole may provide a benefit on subjective patient outcomes in addition to the improvement in depressive symptoms shown by clinical rating scale data.Trial registrationData used in this post hoc analysis came from ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT02012218, NCT02013531, NCT02013609.

Project description:ObjectiveTo evaluate the safety and tolerability of aripiprazole adjunctive to standard antidepressant therapy (ADT) for patients with major depressive disorder (DSM-IV-TR criteria).MethodData from 2 identical studies of aripiprazole augmentation (8 weeks of prospective ADT treatment followed by 6 weeks of randomized double-blind adjunctive treatment) were pooled. The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and weight, electrocardiogram (ECG), and laboratory measurements were assessed during the 6-week phase, including time course, severity, resolution, and predictors. The studies were conducted from June 2004 to April 2006 and September 2004 to December 2006.ResultsThe safety analysis included 737 outpatients (aripiprazole, n = 371; placebo, n = 366). The majority of patients completed the trials (aripiprazole, 86%; placebo, 88%). Common TEAEs (≥ 5% and twice the placebo rate) with aripiprazole were akathisia (25%), restlessness (12%), insomnia (8%), fatigue (8%), blurred vision (6%), and constipation (5%). Most TEAEs were of mild to moderate severity (aripiprazole, 89%; placebo, 95%). TEAE rates in the aripiprazole and placebo groups were not affected by ADT, age, or gender. Discontinuation due to TEAEs was low (aripiprazole, 3%; placebo, 1%). Mean weight change was higher with aripiprazole versus placebo (1.73 kg vs 0.38 kg, P < .001). At endpoint, clinical laboratory parameters, vital signs, and ECG indices (including QT(c) interval) were similar between groups. Akathisia with aripiprazole generally occurred in the first 3 weeks (76%), was of mild to moderate severity (92%), and led to discontinuation in 3 patients (0.8%). Within the aripiprazole group, age (18-40 years) was the only positive predictor for akathisia.ConclusionsIn this short-term post hoc analysis, aripiprazole as augmentation to ADT demonstrated a safety and tolerability profile similar to that in monotherapy studies in other psychiatric populations. Controlled long-term safety and efficacy data of aripiprazole as adjunctive to ADT are warranted.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov Identifiers: NCT00095823 (CN138-139) and NCT00095758 (CN138-163).

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Dataset Information

Adjunctive brexpiprazole in patients with major depressive disorder and anxiety symptoms: post hoc analyses of three placebo-controlled studies.

Objective

Materials and methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Adjunctive brexpiprazole in patients with major depressive disorder and anxiety symptoms: post hoc analyses of three placebo-controlled studies.

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