WILMINGTON, Del. and NEW YORK, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) and Columbia University Medical Center today
announced a new research collaboration to examine how neurogenesis -- the
creation of new neuronal cells - in adults might offer novel approaches to
treating depression and anxiety.
For more than a century, the prevailing scientific rationale was that
neurogenesis only occurs in the developing brain. However, recent research
shows that physical activity, enriched environmental conditions and
antidepressant therapy can stimulate neurogenesis in the adult brain.
Identifying novel antidepressant targets and potential differentiation
between existing and future generations of antidepressants will be key aims
for the collaboration.
Depression and anxiety disorders remain under-diagnosed and
under-treated. One study in the US(1) concluded that approximately 16
percent of the population suffers from major depression on at least one
occasion in their lives.
Rene Hen, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience and psychiatry at Columbia
University Medical Center, said, "Current anti-depression therapies were
developed before recent advances in the scientific understanding of adult
neurogenesis. Through our basic science investigations and our
collaboration with AstraZeneca, we will work to harness the potential of
adult-born neurons to stimulate hippocampal function and thereby possibly
treat specific mood and cognitive disorders faster and with less side
effects."
Jeffrey Lieberman, M.D., chairman of Columbia's Department of
Psychiatry, added, "This collaboration is one example of a partnership
aimed at new approaches to better treatment options in psychiatry.
Medication therapy is part of a comprehensive treatment plan for those with
mental illness and truly innovative, science-based, targeted therapies are
desperately needed for those who are still today one of our most vulnerable
patient populations."
Frank Yocca, Ph.D., Vice President for CNS Discovery Research at
AstraZeneca in Wilmington, said: "Building on the huge advances that the
neuroscience research community gained from the Decade of the Brain(2),
AstraZeneca is delighted to be working with Dr. Rene Hen and his
neuroscience colleagues at Columbia University Medical Center, who are at
the forefront of research in neurogenesis. Working collaboratively, we aim
to expand our knowledge in this area, and to bring more effective, safer
and faster-working treatments to patients with depression and anxiety as
quickly as possible."
Notes to editors
This new alliance with Columbia University Medical Center is one of
several new alliances by AstraZeneca with leading academic and research
institutions to address unmet medical needs through cutting-edge research
across several disease areas, including Alzheimer's disease, chronic pain
and psychiatric illnesses. These proposed new agreements complement
existing AstraZeneca alliances in neuroscience and other key therapeutic
areas with world-class institutions, like Columbia.
In June 2008, AstraZeneca & Columbia University Medical Center
announced a strategic research collaboration in the area of metabolic
disease.(3)
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the
research, development, manufacturing and marketing of meaningful
prescription medicines and supplier for healthcare services. AstraZeneca is
one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales
of $29.55 billion and is a leader in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular,
neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infectious disease medicines. In
the United States, AstraZeneca is a $13.35 billion dollar healthcare
business with 12,200 employees committed to improving people's lives.
AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as
well as the FTSE4Good Index.
For more information, please visit http://www.astrazeneca-us.com.
About Columbia University Medical Center
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in
basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences
education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future health
care leaders at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Mailman School of
Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the
biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and
allied research centers and institutions. CUMC
(http://www.cumc.columbia.edu) is home to the largest medical research
enterprise in New York City and state and one of the largest in the United
States. Columbia University's technology transfer organization, Science and
Technology Ventures, serves as a bridge between Columbia's researchers and
the business community. STV's core objective is to facilitate the transfer
of inventions from academic research to outside organizations for the
benefit of society on a local, national and global basis. For more
information on STV, visit http://www.stv.columbia.edu.
(1) Ronald C. Kessler, PhD; Patricia Berglund, MBA; Olga Demler, MA,
MS; Robert Jin, MA; Kathleen R. Merikangas, PhD; Ellen E. Walters, MS,
Lifetime Prevalence and Age-of-Onset Distributions of DSM-IV Disorders in
the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, Arch Gen Psychiatry.
2005;62:593-602
(2) http://www.loc.gov/loc/brain/
(3) http://www.astrazeneca-us.com/about-astrazeneca-
us/newsroom/all/3095607?itemId=3095607 (Due to length of URL, copy and
paste into browser)
SOURCE AstraZeneca
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Related links:
http://www.astrazeneca-us.com
http://www.stv.columbia.edu http://www.cumc.columbia.edu
http://www.prnewswire.com/gh/cnoc/comp/985887.html/
CONTACT:
Susan Craig of CUMC Communications,
+1-212-305-9746, or Jamie Smith of AstraZeneca (USA),
+1-302-885-5725
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