{"id":69439,"date":"2016-12-12T15:17:16","date_gmt":"2016-12-12T20:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/1boringoldman.com\/?p=69439"},"modified":"2016-12-12T18:47:58","modified_gmt":"2016-12-12T23:47:58","slug":"a-block-buster-in-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1boringoldman.com\/index.php\/2016\/12\/12\/a-block-buster-in-training\/","title":{"rendered":"a block-buster-in-training…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Looking through the December<\/font> American Journal of Psychiatry<\/font>, there was a small study in the Letters section, <\/font>Effect of a Novel NMDA Receptor Modulator, Rapastinel [Formerly GLYX-13], in OCD: Proof of Concept<\/a>. They had given intravenous Rapastinel [GLYX-13] an NMDA receptor partial blocker to seven patients with severe OCD. Remember Rapastinel [GLYX-13]? It’s the Ketamine-like drug touted to have Ketamine’s short-term antidepressant effect without any of the Psychodelic "Club Drug" effect. In this series, Rapastinel did have an acute effect on the OCD Sx, but unlike in depression, at one week the effect was gone. But enough about that. This Letter just reminded me that I had unfinished business with Rapastinel.<\/font><\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n

A year ago, the American Psychiatric Association Council on Research published a review article with senior author Dr. Charlie Nemeroff:<\/div>\n
\n
Ketamine and Other NMDA Antagonists: Early Clinical Trials and Possible Mechanisms in Depression<\/a><\/div>\n
by D. Jeffrey Newport, Linda L. Carpenter<\/font><\/strong>, William M. McDonald<\/font><\/strong>, James B. Potash<\/font><\/strong>, Mauricio Tohen<\/font><\/strong>, and Charles B. Nemeroff<\/font><\/strong>, The APA Council of Research Task Force on Novel Biomarkers and Treatments <\/div>\n
American Journal of Psychiatry<\/font><\/strong>. 2015 172:950–966.<\/div>\n
[full text on-line<\/a>] <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I wrote about it in [a touch of paralysis…<\/a>]. Dr. Nemeroff had already gone out of his way to say he was not connected with Naurex<\/font>, the company behind GLYX-13 <\/font>[Rapastinel<\/font>] here<\/a>, [between 5:40 and 6:40]. That APA review article was enthusiastic about Rapastinel<\/font>, in spite of the fact that there was only one<\/font><\/u> trial [Randomized proof of concept trial of GLYX-13, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor glycine site partial agonist, in major depressive disorder nonresponsive to a previous antidepressant agent<\/a>][NCT01234558<\/a>] with all authors being involved with Naurex [founded by Joseph Moskal, PhD]. Sure enough, shortly after that review article came out, Allergan<\/font> bought Naurex for $560 M [Dr. Nemeroff is definitely financially involved with Allergan]<\/font>. Positively reviewing drugs without acknowledging his own COI was Dr. Nemeroff’s M.O. in the past [see supplement·a·tion: a strange kind of sense…<\/a>], and frankly I suspected he might be up to his old tricks again – though in a more untouchable way. So I flagged Rapastinel<\/font> as a trial to take a look at. As I said, the letter in the American Journal of Psychiatry<\/font><\/strong> this month just reminded me. <\/p>\n

Dr. Moskal and his colleagues have certainly put in the time with their GLIX-13 NMDA partial agonist <\/font>[now Rapastinel<\/font>]. He is a neurobiologist at Northwestern [see Northwestern’s $560 million man<\/a>] who tested his molecule in a wide range of animal models. His articles about GLIX-13<\/a> are worth looking over [at least the titles], as he predicts from his basic research many possible clinical applications. But these two titles state clearly where the eagle landed – GLYX-13, an NMDA receptor glycine site functional partial agonist enhances cognition and produces antidepressant effects without the psychotomimetic side effects of NMDA receptor antagonists<\/font><\/a> and GLYX-13, a NMDA receptor glycine-site functional partial agonist, induces antidepressant-like effects without ketamine-like side effects<\/font><\/a> [both available on-line].<\/p>\n

While there is a gaggle of basic science articles<\/a> in the literatiure, there are only a few pertinent Clinical Trials <\/font>registered on ClinicalTrials.gov<\/font> [none with Results posted]… <\/div>\n