GlaxosmithKline’s Lamictal XR–an extended release version of its off-patent Lamictal–has been approved as an add-on therapy for patients 13 years and older with partial seizures. In a 19-week study, Lamictal significantly reduced frequency of seizures compared with the placebo. The drug will be available this summer, the company said in a statement. GSK hopes sales from Lamictal XR will replace the losses incurred when Lamictal went off-patent.
Here is a news release from Reuters.
How long before they start shoving it down the throats of people labeled bipolar with arguments of how much better it is then the now generic short action version? It will happen one way or another whether or not it’s done off-label or through some bogus clinical trial. Lamictal has already been shown to be pretty useless in general for bipolar disorder. But we can be sure they will be giving this to psychiatric patients real soon.
And remember extended release varieties of drugs are harder to withdraw from and my withdrawal from regular Lamictal was hell. Oh and let’s not forget it took me two years!
My doc tried to put me on lamictal about 6 months ago. (25 mg) I took it for about three weeks and decided it wasn’t doing anything for me so I stopped. As I read all of these things I’m awfully grateful that I apparently didn’t take it long enough to have any withdrawal problems. I really feel for all of you who have been or are going through this hell.
The emergence of these “improvements” and “discoveries” are not derived as a result of legitimate R&D. They are conceived of to correspond to their marketing agenda. Obviously! I guess it isn’t obvious enough for the FDA.
Over and over again, pharmaceutical products exist in response to an opportunity (health condition), not because an effective remedy has been found; but because profit motive dictates that a remedy be found. Voila! There’s a pill for it.
Consequently, use of the endless stream of new medications to treat psychiatric conditions, is just as systematic as throwing spaghetti at a wall to see if it sticks.
I have taken Lamictal and it is not good. I was an alien in my own body. The withdrawal is horrible and exists. And now it can be extended!