Shire Pharmaceuticals CBZ-ERC found effective for bipolar disorder

Shire Pharmaceuticals has announced that a study of its carbamazepine extended-release capsules (CBZ-ERC, Equetro) for the treatment of bipolar disorder significantly reduced manic and mixed symptoms for patients and was generally well tolerated.

CBZ-ERC is the only formulation of carbamazepine approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of patients with acute manic and mixed episodes associated with Bipolar I Disorder.

“Many patients still fail to find an effective medication for their bipolar disorder that is generally well tolerated with a low incidence of weight gain, which can influence their ability to stay on treatment,” said Richard H Weisler, primary investigator of both clinical trials and adjunct professor of psychiatry at UNC’s School of Medicine.

“A medication like CBZ-ERC that works effectively and is well tolerated in both manic and mixed patients is a very important addition to our treatment options for patients and their doctors.”

As many as 450 million people suffer from a mental or behavioral disorder worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

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