As part of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) on-going efforts to increase the available generic drug alternatives for American consumers, the agency today approved the first generic version of Zoloft tablets (sertraline), as well as a liquid concentrate (sertraline hydrochloride) version of the product.
Sertraline tablets are indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults and the liquid concentrate is approved for the treatment of MDD and some anxiety related disorders. In 2005, Zoloft was the sixth highest-selling brand-name drug in the United States, with retail sales totaling $2,561,069,000.
"Generic drugs are safe and effective alternatives to brand name prescription products and can provide for significant cost savings for the American public," said Gary J. Buehler, Director, Office of Generic Drugs. "Our office is committed to increasing the number of approved generic alternatives as quickly as possible."
The economic benefits of FDA's generic drug approval program are significant because...
Your RealAge is the biological age of your body, based on how well you've maintained it.
Take the test.....
Results of a landmark study on depression provide conclusive evidence that treatment works and recovery is very possible for people who suffer from major, chronic depression. This study, called the “Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression” study (STAR*D), is the largest multicenter study on major depression ever conducted. It was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Study results:
Mental and neurological disorders
Twenty-five per cent of individuals develop one or more mental or behavioural disorders at some stage in life, in both developed and developing countries. The following disorders can now be diagnosed reliably and accurately as the most common physical disorders; some can be prevented, all can be successfully managed and treated......
Click on your State....See how it compares....
http://www.nami.org/gtsTemplate.cfm?Section=grading_the_states>READ MORE
THOUGH HE WAS the father of the most time-consuming of therapies, psychoanalysis, legend has it that Sigmund Freud cured the composer Gustav Plahler's impotence during a stroll around a lake.
The notion that a psychological difficulty could be remedied in a single session sounds gimmicky, and yet, some say short-term therapy is the best way to deal with a stark reality: About 40 percent of people who consult a therapist never go back. Advocates of single-session, or planned short-term therapy, which typically lasts three to five sessions, maximize the...
Fat people not more jolly, says study
Fat people are not more jolly, according to a study that found obesity is strongly linked with depression and other mood disorders.
Whether obesity might cause these problems or is the result of them is not certain, and the research does not provide an answer, but there are theories to support both arguments.
Depression often causes people to abandon activities, and some medications used to treat mental illness can cause weight gain. On the other hand, obesity is often seen as a stigma and overweight people often are subject to...
NEW YORK — The large group of depression sufferers who haven't recovered with two common medications stand little chance of success from a third drug, says the latest report from the nation's most ambitious study of depression treatment.
Only about 16 percent of those in the study became free of symptoms after switching to a third drug, researchers said.
Combined with previous reports from the project, the new finding suggests that about 60 percent of people who have depression can gain...