title: Carbamazepine extended-release capsules: a new treatment option for bipolar I disorder.
abstract: Carbamazepine has a long history in psychiatry and neurology. More recently, carbamazepine extended-release capsules have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder. This decision represents a significant step forward for the agent, which was first described to have efficacy in the disorder in the early 1970s. Approval of carbamazepine extended-release capsules was aided by two large placebo-controlled, 3-week trials. Using nearly identical protocols, these trials demonstrated that monotherapy with carbamazepine extended-release capsules was effective for the treatment of acute mania in patients with bipolar I disorder. Recent data collected based on this new formulation of carbamazepine illustrate the need for education about the utility of this compound in bipolar disorder.
authors.affiliation: Duke University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 700 Spring Forest, Suite 125, Raleigh, NC 27609, USA. rweisler@aol.com
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Weisler
mesh_terms: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000266:history / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000266:history / Q000494:pharmacology; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005104:Expert Testimony; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D002220:Carbamazepine