Available in Italy nasal spray for major depression therapy

Engaged in neuroscience research for decades, Janssen, the pharmaceutical company of the Johnson & Johnson Group, today presented in Milan an innovative drug for the treatment of major depression resistant to common therapies: esketamine. The illustration to the press of the characteristics of the new drug treatment was an opportunity to talk about depression and mental health, two topics on which the spotlight was turned in conjunction with the increase in the incidence of mental disorders observed during the pandemic. from Covid-19. Depression is in fact a disease that too often is not considered as such and people who are affected are stigmatized, isolated or considered weak and listless. In fact, as the experts who spoke at the meeting explained, depression in its most serious forms has an extremely negative impact on every area of ​​life, not only for those who suffer from it, but also for those who are close to people with depression. The treatment of this disorder must therefore be swift and adequate. “The treatment of depressive illness requires greater integration of the system that deals with mental health and the involvement of all scientific and institutional actors, to ‘team up’ in the interest of patients – explains Antonio Vita, full professor of psychiatry at the University of Brescia, Director of the Brescia Department of Mental Health and Vice President of the Italian Society of Psychiatry (Sip) – Only in this way can we think of adequately counteracting severe depression which is a pathology that has the greatest impact on daily life in terms of clinical suffering of the patient, use of pharmacological resources, loss of work days, loss of work days of family members, difficulty in early diagnosis of the disease, poor compliance of patients with therapies “. Esketamine, which comes in the form of a spray nasal self-administering under medical supervision, is characterized by a remarkable rapidity à of action and its effectiveness, elements that help therapeutic adherence and patient satisfaction. The molecule belongs to the category of N-methyl-D-aspartate (Nmda) receptor antagonists and, by acting on the brain circuits of glutamate, is able to restore the cerebral connections between the different areas of the brain. The drug developed by Janssen is indicated for people suffering from an episode of major depressive disorder refractory to the usual treatments based on serotonergic drugs. Thanks to its mechanism of action and the specific method of intranasal administration, esketamine represents an innovation in the therapeutic strategy for those suffering from major depressive disorder and does not benefit from currently available therapies. Approved by Aifa, esketamine is already available in our country and its administration takes place in treatment centers, in combination with an antidepressant Ssri (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or Snri (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors). “Poter having a new drug such as esketamine available – comments Andrea Fagiolini, professor of psychiatry at the University of Siena, director of the Department of mental health and sense organs at the Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital in Siena – is of fundamental importance in the treatment drug-resistant major depression. With its unique mechanism of action, esketamine is capable of being more effective than current therapies in use today. Unlike other molecules, which take several weeks to achieve the desired effect, the drug in question it acts quickly on depressive symptoms, maintaining the effect in the long term and reducing nettam entails the risk of relapse. Relevant characteristics, considering the resistance to other treatments and the frequent tendency to relapse that are found in patients with these forms of depression “. Esketamine reduces the risk of relapse by 51% among patients with stable remission and by 70% among patients with stable response. “The trials that led to the approval of esketamine – says Giuseppe Maina, professor of psychiatry at the University of Turin and director of the psychiatry complex unit of the San Luigi Gonzaga hospital in Orbassano (Turin) – have shown that with this molecule it is possible to effectively control the disease in depressed patients. In particular, studies have shown that esketamine, in combination with an oral antidepressant in drug-resistant patients, is associated with a significant reduction in symptoms as early as 24 hours after administration, maintaining the long-term effect. On the safety front, long-term studies have shown that esketamine is well tolerated throughout the duration of treatment “.” The standard treatment for major depression – underlines Mauro Percudani, director of the Department of mental health and addiction at Niguarda hospital of Milan – depends on the severity of the symptoms. In general, we intervene with the administration of an antidepressant drug in association or not with a psychotherapeutic treatment. When the patient does not respond to the first line of drug therapy, a different antidepressant is administered. Unfortunately, in about 30% of cases, people with major depression do not fully respond to treatment. These situations are identified as drug-resistant depressions “.” Depression – highlights Felicia Giagnotti Tedone, president of the Itaca Project Foundation – is a pathology that brings with it important repercussions on the sociality of the person involved and of his entire family. This is why today it is more essential than ever to turn the spotlight on this pathology, often stigmatized and underestimated, carrying forward the message on the importance of scientific research aimed at identifying new therapeutic frontiers, on access to adequate treatments and correct information on the disease. on the symptoms, manifestations and treatments needed to deal with it. Knowledge and awareness represent, together with the assistance of specialists, the main way to combat the pathology which means taking charge of the person in his entirety “.” In addition to the effect on the quality of life of patients – remarked Francesco Saverio Mennini , professor of health economics and microeconomics, Faculty of Economics, University of Rome Tor Vergata, and President of Sihta (Italian Society of Health Technology Assessment) – depression has a significant socio-economic impact with a high number of lost working days. This contributes to a very important impact both in terms of direct healthcare costs (1.3 billion euros), and more with reference to indirect costs (3.2 billion). It should be noted that most of the indirect costs are related to the loss of productivity (lost days of work), underlining once again the social impact of the disease “. Marina Adami, Therapeutic Area Medical Manager Janssen, recalled the ten-year commitment of the pharmaceutical company in the search for therapies capable of improving the quality of life and treating people with mental disorders: “It has been a long journey and today we are satisfied to be able to make esketamine finally available for all Italian patients who they can benefit in the certainty that this drug will help make a difference in treating major depression. Janssen has been involved in neuroscience for over 60 years to bring new therapeutic approaches to people suffering from mental illness and other highly disabling neurological disorders. “