Lundbeck commences phase III study of depression drug

Lundbeck has begun a new phase III study into the safety and efficacy of Lu AA21004, an investigational compound for the treatment of major depression.

In association with its collaborative partner Takeda, the firm has recruited and dosed the trial’s first patients in Finland, with further enrolment to take place across Europe, the US and Canada.

This represents the latest stage in an extended phase III programme for the new drug, a multi-modal antidepressant which combines the effects of reuptake inhibition and receptor activity.

Thus far, the treatment has shown numerous signs of efficacy in studies, including 560-patient placebo-controlled trial and a subsequent 639-patient relapse prevention study.

Lundbeck expects filing of the drug to take place in 2012 following the completion of the current programme.

Earlier this month, the pharmaceutical company expressed satisfaction with its performance in the first quarter of 2010 after reporting a 15 per cent increase in its three-month revenue figures.