Lumateperone was generally safe and well-tolerated in this study. The most common adverse events (≥5%
and greater than twice placebo) were dizziness, somnolence, dry mouth, nausea, diarrhea and fatigue. Adverse events were mostly mild to moderate and resolved within the course of the study. These adverse events were generally similar to those seen
in prior studies of lumateperone as a treatment for MDD, bipolar depression and schizophrenia.
In this study, 480 patients were randomized (1:1) to
lumateperone 42 mg plus antidepressant or placebo plus antidepressant to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lumateperone as an adjunctive treatment to antidepressants in patients with MDD. The baseline MADRS total score was 30.8 for lumateperone 42
mg and 31.5 for placebo.
MDD is the leading cause of disability in the world, where about two-thirds of
patients fail to achieve remission with first-line treatment, said Dr. Suresh Durgam, Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer of Intra-Cellular Therapies. In both pivotal registrational studies, Study 501 and Study 502,
lumateperone demonstrated a robust effect as an adjunctive treatment to antidepressants in patients with MDD who had inadequate response to antidepressant therapy. The consistent efficacy, safety and tolerability profile of lumateperone has the
potential to be a compelling treatment option for MDD.
About the Lumateperone Adjunctive MDD Program
Studies 501 and 502 evaluated lumateperone 42 mg as an adjunctive treatment to antidepressants in patients with MDD who had inadequate response to
antidepressant therapy.
These are both multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, fixed-dose studies conducted globally
in patients with a primary diagnosis of MDD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria who have had an inadequate response to ongoing anti-depressant
therapy.
Eligible patients had a minimum MADRS total score of 24, a minimum CGI-S score of 4 and an inadequate
response to one or two SSRI/SNRIs (less than 50% improvement) following monotherapy treatment for at least 6 weeks duration.