First anti-depressant patch is approved

The first skin patch that can treat major depressive disorder has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. The one-a-day patch has the advantage of freeing patients from dietary restrictions they would have to stick to if they took the same drug in pill form.

The patch contains a medication called Emsam (selegiline), which can trigger sudden spikes in blood pressure if taken orally with certain foods or drinks, such as red wines or cheese. Patients must avoid combining the pill with such foods as the sudden rise in blood pressure can cause dangerously high hypertension, which can result in a stroke.The lowest-dose version of the patch contains six milligrams of Emsam, a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor. The drug is released through the day and does not carry the same dietary restrictions as the pill.”The advantage of the patch, nominally, is that it allows you to take an MAOI, and you can still eat your pizza, too,” Alan Gelenberg, head of the University of Arizona’s psychiatry department told Reuters.However, patients using higher-dose versions of the patch will still have to adhere to strict dietary guidelines. The FDA approved the patch for adults only. As with all approved antidepressants in the US, the product, developed by Somerset Pharmaceuticals Inc., will bear a warning of increased risk of suicide in children and adolescents.The FDA had conditionally approved the patch in 2004.(Source: New Scientist: Roxanne Khamsi: March 2006.)