Labopharm’s trazodone drug in peer-reviewed medical journal

An article in the October issue of CNS Spectrums, an international journal of neuropsychiatric medicine, cites the potential benefits of Labopharm’s new trazodone formulation, which contains its Contramid technology to control the release of active ingredients to improve drug delivery.

“Although trazodone has traditionally been used as a low dose hypnotic, a new controlled release formulation that has the potential to improve the tolerability of high doses may provide an opportunity to revisit this multifunctional drug as an antidepressant as well,” Dr. Stephen Stahl, professor of psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, writes in the article’s abstract.

Labopharm (TSX: DDS; NASDAQ: DDSS) has submitted trazodone for FDA regulatory approval, with a decision expected next spring.

“Controlled-release trazodone should theoretically allow adequate dose escalation to administer high doses for antidepressant action, while avoiding sedation of the immediate release formulation,” Dr. Stahl added.

“As an antidepressant, the new trazodone formulation should be as effective as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), yet as a serotonin antagonist reuptake inhibitor (SARI), have a low incidence of anxiety, insomnia and sexual dysfunction.”