Sanofi-Aventis reports insomnia improvements with Ambien CR in MDD

Sanofi-Aventis has announced the results of a new study showing that Ambien CR (zolpidem tartrate extended-release) improves daily functioning and insomnia in patients wit co-morbid major depressive disorder (MDD).

Data showed that patients administered with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treated with the compound for eight weeks saw improvements in sleep onset, sleep maintenance and total sleep time.

Results presented at the Sleep 2008 annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies showed that at week eight, patients receiving Ambien CR reported sleeping for an average of 101 minutes above baseline, compared to 64 minutes for placebo.

Maurizio Fava, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and executive vice-chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, said: “Current therapies for MDD effectively treat depression symptoms, but may not sufficiently address the sleep difficulties frequently associated with the disorder, which are primarily difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.”

He added that Ambien CR was found to be an effective adjunctive treatment that may also have a positive effect on lack of motivation, fatigue and other secondary symptoms.

In January 2008, Sanofi-Aventis reported that Ambien CR improves insomnia in patients with co-morbid chronic insomnia and generalised anxiety disorder.