J&J seeks to rewrite the script on depression treatment

 A survey by Johnson & Johnson has revealed patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) are pessimistic about the chances of being free of their symptoms – and it has launched an awareness campaign to challenge that assumption.

The global Generation Fine campaign, developed in partnership with Mental Health America and clinical experts, is designed to "challenge what it means to feel 'fine' in depression care and empower patients to take the first step in moving beyond 'good enough' by talking with their healthcare provider."

The survey – conducted in 859 MDD patients currently managing their MDD with oral antidepressants and 800 healthcare providers who treat patients with MDD in the US, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, and Spain – found that nearly four out of five patients felt antidepressants were unlikely to address all of their symptoms or help them reach remission.

Around three-quarters of them also said that residual symptoms still plague their lives, with 90% saying this affects their work and more than half reporting that they sometimes isolate themselves from others as a result.

Among patients who had not discussed the problem of lingering symptoms with their doctor, 40% reported they did not have the energy to even raise the subject, while a third said there was little point because they felt nothing could be done about it.

"Depression doesn't look the same for everyone, but it is often treated with the same one-size-fits-all approach," said Jessica Jackson, head of alliance development at Mental Health America.

"This disconnect can leave people feeling unseen or misunderstood, while stigma and societal pressures make it even harder to seek help," she added. "We need to change the conversation and create opportunities where all people feel empowered to say, 'I'm not okay'."

Generation Fine has been launched to highlight the day-to-day challenges of people living with MDD – an estimated 332 million people worldwide – and support conversations about their care and the possibility of remission.

The campaign is being fronted by mental health advocates, including retired National Football League (NFL) player Kyle Long, who played for the Chicago Bears and is now a TV pundit for the game.

"I've battled depression at different stages of my life, including during my career in the NFL, and for a long time I felt like I had to 'tough it out' and handle it by myself," said Long. "When I stopped trying to fight it alone and started being honest with myself and my support system, including my doctor, everything changed. Speaking up about what you're feeling isn't weakness - it's the strongest play you can make."

J&J has developed two therapies aimed at the estimated two-thirds of MDD patients who continue to experience symptoms despite treatment with conventional antidepressants, Caplyta (lumateperone) and Spravato (esketamine), which are both approved as add-ons to standard therapy.

The drugmaker also has another candidate in the pipeline with orexin-2 receptor antagonist seltorexant, which has shown efficacy in a phase 3 trial for insomnia associated with depression, a symptom that currently has no FDA-approved treatments and affects around 60% of patients. 

https://pharmaphorum.com/news/jj-seeks-rewrite-script-depression-treatment