Elite Pharmaceuticals Inc (ELTP)

[WeeZuhl]

I wonder if Elite is working on any psychiatric medications?

I wasn't going to mention it, but since you asked, there is isradipine news hot off the presses:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01615-6.pdf?origin=ppub
Published: 26 May 2022

Brain-penetrant calcium channel blockers are associated with a reduced incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders
In people with no prior history of psychiatric or neurodegenerative disorder, there was a significantly lower incidence of most disorders with BP-CCBs compared to amlodipine, with risk ratios ranging from 0.64 to 0.88 and an overall risk ratio of 0.88, i.e. a risk reduction of 12%. In people who did have a prior psychiatric or neurodegenerative diagnosis, differences were much smaller, but again showed lower risks for several disorders with BP-CCBs compared to amlodipine. The differences were somewhat more marked in women and in people less than 60 years old. Results were similar when comparing BP-CCBs with verapamil and diltiazem.
...
Our primary question was to ask whether brain penetrability impacts on the neuropsychiatric correlates of CCB use. We acknowledge that there is a spectrum of brain-penetrability, and also that evidence is often incomplete [30, 31]. However, for the purposes of this study, we dichotomised the dihydropyridine CCBs into those generally considered to have high brain penetrability and those which do not. For simplicity, we describe these groups as ‘brain-penetrant’ (BP-CCB) and ‘non-penetrant’ respectively. This distinction resulted in amlodipine being assigned as non-penetrant, and the other dihydropyridine CCBs (felodipine, isradipine, nicardipine, nifedipine, nimodipine, nisoldipine) being assigned as brain-penetrant

Isradipine study due for completion September 2022:

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT03083353?term=isradipine&draw=2&rank=3

The current protocol will apply a pharmacologic augmentation strategy informed by basic research in animal models of addiction. Our goal is to evaluate the enhancing effect of isradipine, an FDA-approved calcium channel blocker, on the extinction of craving-a key mechanism of drug relapse after periods of abstinence. To activate craving robustly in human participants, we will use multimodal smoking cues including novel 360° video environments developed for this project and delivered through consumer virtual reality headsets. Adult smokers will take either isradipine or placebo and complete the cue exposure protocol in a double-blind randomized control trial. In order to test the hypothesis that isradipine will enhance retention of craving extinction, participants will repeat cue exposure in a medication-free state 24 h later. The study will be implemented in a primary care setting where adult smokers receive healthcare, and smoking behavior will be tracked throughout the trial with ecological momentary assessment.

An interesting post hoc analysis of isradipine STEADY-PDIII Parkinson's trial:

https://scienceofparkinsons.com/2021/03/08/isradipine/

Last year the results of the large STEADY-PD study were published. The investigators behind the Phase III clinical trial reported that the experimental treatment being tested had no effect on the progression of Parkinson’s in recently diagnosed individuals.

The treatment being evaluated was a calcium channel blocker called isradipine – it is used for treating high blood pressure.

Since publishing the results, some of the researchers behind the study have been conducting post hoc analysis of the data… and they have found something interesting: An effect.

In today’s post, we will look at why isradipine was evaluated in Parkinson’s, what the results of the STEADY-PD study were, and what the newly discovered effect could mean.