New Caplyta Doses OK’d; ECT Effective Against Suicide; Antidepressants Flop for QoL

The FDA gave the green light to two new dosages of lumateperone (Caplyta) — 10.5 mg and 21 mg capsules — for the treatment of bipolar depression and schizophrenia, Intra-Cellular Therapies announced. The agent was initially approved in a 42 mg dose.

Early treatment strategies were more effective at reducing Alzheimer’s disease risk in women versus men. (Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease)

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) significantly reduced the risk of death by suicide in people admitted to the hospital with depression, a retrospective Canadian study found. (The Lancet Psychiatry)

Looking at 621 youth with autism spectrum disorder, internalizing symptoms — such as withdrawn and anxious behaviors — were tied to gastrointestinal problems like stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea. (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders)

Antidepressants didn’t appear to improve health-related quality of life over time compared with people with depression not on one of these agents. (PLOS One)

While the majority of parents know it’s important to talk to their kids about mental health, less than half said they themselves had those kinds of conversations growing up, according to a national survey from On Our Sleeves, a program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Adults who were exposed to abuse as children tended to have higher cardiovascular risk factors, a study showed. “This information is critical to strengthening cardiovascular disease prevention interventions and policies, particularly those that focus on people who experienced abuse or other trauma during childhood,” said study author Liliana Aguayo, PhD, MPH, of Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, in a statement. (Journal of the American Heart Association)

A new trial in California is now underway, alleging that manufacturers and pharmacies like Walgreens and Teva Pharmaceuticals knowingly contributed to the opioid epidemic. (Reuters)