Content about Psychology

PITTSBURGH — Mylan has launched a generic drug used to treat sleep disorders, the company said Friday.

The generic drug maker announced the launch of modafinil tablets in the 100-mg and 200-mg strengths. The drug is a generic version of Provigil, made by Cephalon — a company that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries acquired last year — and used to treat narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea and shift work disorder.

In July, the country’s largest trade group representing the drug industry released a report showing nearly 200 drugs under clinical development or Food and Drug Administration review for treating mental disorders.


The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America released a report listing 187 drugs, including 52 for depression, 37 for schizophrenia and 26 for anxiety disorders.


DARIEN, Ill. — Sleep deprivation prompts an immediate response from the body's immune system, according to a new study.

PITTSBURGH — Mylan has launched a generic drug for treating psychiatric disorders, the company said Tuesday.

Mylan announced the launch of olanzapine tablets in the 2.5-mg, 5-mg, 7.5-mg, 10-mg, 15-mg and 20-mg strengths.

The drug, a generic version of Eli Lilly's Zyprexa, is used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Various versions of the drug had sales of about $3.3 billion in 2011, according to IMS Health.

SALISBURY, N.C. — Food Lion has launched its Hunger Has a Cure campaign to support Feeding America's network of local food banks. The two-week campaign, which allows customers to donate in $1 or $3 increments at the register, runs through April 17. Customers may also donate any other amount of their choice.

NEW YORK — A drug under development by Forest Labs and Pierre Fabre "significantly" reduced symptoms of major depressive disorder, the companies said Wednesday.

New York-based Forest and Paris-based Pierre Fabre announced results of a phase-3 trial of levomilnacipran, saying the drug showed reductions in symptoms as early as one week after treatment was started. The companies expect results of another phase-3 trial of the drug this spring.

PHILADELPHIA — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug made by Shire for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the company said Tuesday.

Shire announced the FDA approval of Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) capsules as a maintenance treatment for adults with ADHD. The drug already was approved for use in children and was approved for treating ADHD in adults in 2008.

The company said the approval was based on a clinical trial that showed more ADHD patients controlling their symptoms with Vyvanse than with placebo.

DALLAS — Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to depression, according to UT Southwestern Medical Center psychiatrists working with the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study in a release issued Thursday.

This new study — published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings — helps clarify a debate that erupted after smaller studies produced conflicting results about the relationship between vitamin D and depression. Major depressive disorder affects nearly 1-in-10 adults in the United States.

RYE, N.Y. — A drug in late-stage clinical trials appears to treat the symptoms of autism, the drug's developer said Wednesday.

Curemark announced results of the phase-3 trial of CM-AT in children ages 3 to 8 years. The company said the drug had a statistically significant effect on symptoms of autism compared with placebo. The Food and Drug Administration has granted the drug fast-track status, which it does for investigational drugs to treat serious or life-threatening conditions that may address unmet medical needs.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway announced it is teaming up with Kraft Foods, customers, local food banks and broadcast partners to collect food donations at all Safeway stores now through Dec. 24, through the retailer's Help Us End Hunger (Every Bag Counts) food drive.

As part of the campaign, Safeway has created a specially produced shopping bag filled with the items that food banks need the most. The bag, which will be available for $10 at all Safeway stores, includes:

• Chicken of the Sea chunk white tuna;

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A recent study gauging the impact of consuming more fish oil showed a marked reduction both in inflammation and in anxiety among a cohort of healthy young people, the Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science announced Wednesday.