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Arthritis drug improves antidepressant efficacy for bipolar depression

Celebrex, a COX-2 inhibitor indicated for arthritis, significantly improved antidepressant efficacy among individuals with treatment-resistant bipolar depression, according to findings presented at the International Congress on Psychiatry and the Neurosciences.

Angelos Halaris , MD, PhD, of the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, and colleagues conducted an 8-week study among adults with bipolar disorder with inadequate response to antidepressant treatment. Study participants were randomly assigned to receive escitalopram plus Celebrex (celecoxib, Pfizer) (n = 31) or escitalopram plus placebo (n = 24).

Seventy-eight percent of participants who received celecoxib exhibited at least a 50% reduction in depression scores, compared with 45% of those who received placebo.

Complete depression remission was reported among 63% of participants who received celecoxib and 10% of those who received placebo.

Participants who received celecoxib plus escitalopram exhibited antidepressant efficacy within 1 week, according to researchers.

These findings support the idea that inflammation plays a role in depression.

“Such an intervention, if implemented relatively early in the course of disease, may arrest the neuroprogressive course of bipolar disorder,” Halaris said in a press release.

Disclosure: Please see the study for a full list of relevant financial disclosures.

Reference:

Halaris A. Inflammation control reverses treatment resistance in bipolar depression. Presented at: International Congress on Psychiatry and the Neurosciences; Oct. 6-9, 2016; Athens, Greece.