Abilify, or the generic name of aripiprazole, is a medication that is added with other drugs to help alleviate symptoms of clinical depression. The drug was developed by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company in Japan and is marketed in the United States by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Abilify was the first atypical antipsychotic to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an adjunctive medication for the treatment of clinical depression in 2007.
Clinical Depression
Clinical depression is a mood disorder. According to the American Psychiatric Association, symptoms of depression include sadness, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, sleeping difficulties, fatigue, hopelessness, appetite changes, concentration difficulties and suicidal thoughts or behaviors, loss of pleasure, changes in sleep, low energy, changes in appetite, concentration difficulties and suicidal thoughts. Depression is treated by antidepressants, psychotherapy or a combination of the two treatment methods.
Clinical Indication for Depression
Abilify is a type of medication called an atypical antipsychotic, which is primarily used to treat psychosis. However, Abilify is also used as an addition to an antidepressant in the managmeent of treatment-resistant depression. A study in the April 2009 edition of "CNS Spectrums" indicates that adding Abilify to antidepressants can help alleviate symptoms of clinical depression among people whose depression does not improve with antidepressants alone. Abilify has not been approved to be taken alone in depression treatment.
Side Effects
Abilify is an atypical antipsychotic, meaning the drug is less likely to cause extrapyrimidal side effects, or involuntary movements, than traditional antipsychotic medications. However, Abilify may cause adverse side effects. According to the "CNS Spectrums" study, akathisia, or pacing and the inability to sit still, was the most frequently seen side effect among research participants. Other noted side effects in the study included restlessness, fatigue, insomnia, headache, blurred vision and upper respiratory tract infection.
Drug Interactions
People taking Abilify for clinical depression should be aware of serious interactions with other drugs. According to Bristol-Myers Squibb, Prozac, or the generic name of fluoxetine, and Nizoral, or ketoconazole, increase the concentration of Abilify in the human body. Thus, Bristol-Myers Squibb advises physicians to reduce the dose of Abilify by one-half when a person takes either of these drugs. Bristol-Myers Squibb also notes that Tegretol, or carbamazepine, reduces the concentration of Abilify, so doubling the dose of Abilify is recommended when taking Tegretol.
Special Warning with Elderly
Bristol-Myers Sqibb recommends that Abilify be administered to older people with care, as this population may be more susceptible to side effects. Older people with a history of dementia are particularly vulnerable to adverse effects, including heart failure, stroke and pneumonia.
References
- "Abilify: Important Safety Information"; Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuika.
- "CNS Spectrums"; Aripiprazole Augmentation in Major Depressive Disorder: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study in Patients with Inadequate Response to Antidepressants; Robert Berman, MD, Maurizio Fava, MD, Michael Thase, MD, Madhukar Trivedi, MD, René Swanink,, Robert McQuade, PhD, William Carson, MD, David Adson, MD, Leslie Taylor, MD, James Hazel, and Ronald Marcus, MD; April 2009.
- "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed. Text Revision)"; American Psychiatric Association; 2002.
