title: Bipolar disorder: recent clinical trials and emerging therapies for depressive episodes and maintenance treatment.
abstract: Bipolar disorder (BD) is one of the world's ten most disabling conditions. More options are urgently needed for treating bipolar depressive episodes and for safer, more tolerable long-term maintenance treatment. We reviewed 30 recent clinical trials in depressive episodes (eight tested compounds) and 14 clinical trials in maintenance treatment (ten tested compounds). Positive results in Phase III trials, regulatory approval and/or new therapeutic indications were obtained with some of the developing drugs, particularly for depressive episodes. The current BD pipeline is encouraging with promising new compounds, acting on novel pharmacological targets and on specific aspects of bipolar depression.
authors: INSERM U999, Université Paris-Sud et Hôpital Marie Lannelongue, Le Plessis-Robinson, France; Craven, Villemoisson-sur-Orge, France. Electronic address: ricardo.garay@orange.fr.
authors: Ricardo P
authors: RP
authors: Garay
authors: Psychiatry Service, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, EA 7280, Auvergne University, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors: Pierre-Michel
authors: PM
authors: Llorca
authors: Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, De Crepisgny Park, London, UK.
authors: Allan H
authors: AH
authors: Young
authors: Craven, Villemoisson-sur-Orge, France.
authors: Ahcène
authors: A
authors: Hameg
authors: Psychiatry Service, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, EA 7280, Auvergne University, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors: Ludovic
authors: L
authors: Samalin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants