• Respondents Reported Physical and Psychosocial Impacts of Living with Bipolar I Disorder and Side Effects of Medications Used to Treat the Disease
• More Than Half of Respondents Reported Trying Five or More Medications During Their Treatment Journey
• 80% of Respondents Agreed They Wished There Were Medication Options that Relieved Their Bipolar I Disorder Symptoms with Fewer Side Effects

Date of release: Jan. 6, 2022 

DUBLIN/PRNewswire/ — Results from a newly released survey provide insights from adults living with bipolar I disorder (BD-I)* in the United States (U.S.) on the burden of living with this serious mental health condition and their experiences with treatment. This research was conducted in support of Alkermes’ commitment to understanding the unique needs of people living with BD-I and supporting increased disease awareness and education. 

The survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll during August 2021 on behalf of Alkermes, Inc., a subsidiary of Alkermes plc (Nasdaq: ALKS), and in collaboration with the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), a not-for-profit organization that provides support to people who live with depression and bipolar disorder, as well as to their friends and family.

“Living with and managing bipolar I disorder can be a profoundly challenging experience, but it is important to remember that people with this condition can lead stable, enjoyable and fulfilling lives,” said Michael Pollock, Chief Executive Officer of DBSA. “The perspectives shared through this survey by people living with bipolar I disorder underscore the need for effective medications and the importance of considering the unique needs and experiences of individuals living with this disease – whether physical, mental or social – as people work with their healthcare providers to evaluate treatment options.”

Key findings from the survey include:

• Survey respondents reported that living with BD-I can be a difficult and isolating experience that impacts many aspects of their lives. Approximately four of five respondents (81%) agreed** that they felt like no one understands what they are going through living with BD-I and more than three-quarters of respondents (77%) agreed that living with BD-I makes them feel isolated and alone. Among respondents living with BD-I who had been employed or in school, 51% said they were less productive at work or at school and 47% had tried to hide their condition from colleagues or classmates.
• Survey respondents cited a wide variety of concerns related to managing their BD-I. When asked what worried them most in managing their disease, respondents’ most cited responses were sleep quality (28%), motivation and energy to do things they enjoy (28%), and frequency of depressive symptoms or episodes (27%).
• Finding the right treatment can be a lengthy and difficult process. Nearly all respondents (98%) said that effectiveness or symptom relief was somewhat or very important when it comes to making decisions about medication. Despite this, finding the right treatment can be challenging and take a long time. More than half of respondents (54%) had tried five or more medications, including nearly one in five (17%) who had tried more than 10 medications as part of their treatment journey. In addition, 47% of respondents who experienced side effects of antipsychotic medication said that they had often or sometimes taken medication to manage such side effects. Further, more than three-quarters of respondents (78%) agreed that it had taken them a very long time to feel like their BD-I medication regimen worked for them and 70% of respondents agreed that it had been difficult to find a BD-I medication that worked really well for them.
• The vast majority of respondents (93%) said they experienced medication side effects, and of those respondents, 95% said that those side effects have had a negative impact on some aspect of their life. Of those who experienced medication side effects, the three most reported side effects were weight gain (56%), anxiety (56%), and drowsiness and sleepiness (53%); these three side effects were also rated as the most bothersome. Respondents who experienced side effects reported negative impacts on their motivation and energy to do the things they enjoy (41%), sleep quality (34%), and sexual desire or functioning (22%). Finally, 80% agreed that they wish there were medication options that relieved their BD-I symptoms with fewer side effects.

Despite the challenges that some people living with BD-I face in their treatment journey, many respondents (75%) reported feeling well-managed on their then-current BD-I medication regimen.

For a visual representation of the data discussed in this release, please see an infographic at www.alkermes.com/getmedia/1ecd5909-c321-47d2-ad6a-a2294d50376e/Harris-BD1-Survey_Patient-Infographic_FINAL.pdf.

“This research reveals that respondents living with BD-I face a variety of challenges, from the symptoms of their disease to the side effects of medications, and many have tried numerous medications to treat the disorder,” said Kathy Steinberg, Vice President of Research at The Harris Poll. “These data underscore the importance of efficacy and symptom relief to respondents with bipolar I disorder; and also that side effects of medication significantly impacted their lives and contributed to treatment decisions.”

“This survey provides valuable insights into the complexities of living with bipolar I disorder and the factors that people consider when making treatment decisions together with their healthcare providers,” said Sarah Akerman, M.D., Executive Director of Medical Affairs at Alkermes. “At Alkermes, we are dedicated to raising awareness of the unmet needs of people living with serious mental illness and advancing the development of new treatment options that may help address those needs.”

*Survey participants living with BD-I have, on average, been living with the condition for about 16 years, with 28 years old being the average age of diagnosis.

**Unless otherwise noted, all “agreed” percentages represent a net, or sum, of the proportion of respondents who selected “somewhat agree” and those who selected “strongly agree” in response to the question asked.

Survey Methodology

The Harris Poll conducted these online surveys on behalf of Alkermes and in consultation with DBSA among 305 people living with BD-I in the U.S. In order to qualify for participation, subjects had to be aged 18-60, must have taken BD-I medication at the time of the survey or in the year prior to the survey, and could not have been managing/receiving treatment for schizophrenia at the time of the survey. Data were collected between August 3 and August 26, 2021, and raw data were not weighted and are therefore only representative of those who completed the survey. The results of this survey do not necessarily represent the experiences of the broader population of people living with BD-I.

For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, or for any additional questions regarding the survey, please send requests to mediainfo@alkermes.com.    

About Bipolar I Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that is marked by extreme changes in a person’s mood, energy and ability to function. Individuals with this brain disorder may experience debilitating changes in mood from extreme highs (mania) to extreme lows (depression). BD-I is characterized by the occurrence of at least one manic episode, with or without the occurrence of a major depressive episode, and affects approximately one percent of the adult population in the U.S. in any given year.¹

About the Harris Poll

The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm established in 1963 to help support decision making among leaders. The Harris Poll works with clients in three primary areas: crafting brand strategy, building corporate reputation, and earning organic media through public relations research.

About the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that provides hope, help, support and education to serve the estimated 21 million people throughout the U.S. who live with mood disorders. Programs and resources are offered through our website, dbsalliance.org, and through our 500+ support groups and 150+ chapters across the country. DBSA emphasizes the value of peer support as a crucial resource for wellness. The term peer describes someone who lives with a mood disorder. DBSA believes in the strength and resilience of each person and supports the individual’s right to create his/her/their own path to wellness. DBSA also serves caregivers, families and friends of people living with mood disorders because family and social support are central to wellness.

About Alkermes plc

Alkermes plc is a fully-integrated, global biopharmaceutical company developing innovative medicines in the fields of neuroscience and oncology. The company has a portfolio of proprietary commercial products focused on addiction, schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder, and a pipeline of product candidates in development for neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Alkermes plc has an R&D center in Waltham, Massachusetts; a research and manufacturing facility in Athlone, Ireland; and a manufacturing facility in Wilmington, Ohio. For more information, please visit Alkermes’ website at www.alkermes.com.

Alkermes Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements concerning the company’s plans to advance the development of new treatment options that may help address the needs of people living with serious mental illness. The company cautions that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the company believes that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, the forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: whether the results of the survey conducted by the Harris Poll represent the experiences of people living with BD-I; whether the company can successfully advance the development and regulatory approval of new treatment options that may help address the unmet needs of people living with serious mental illness; and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020 and in subsequent filings made by the company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, the company disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating or revising any forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

¹ Merikangas et al. Lifetime and 12-Month Prevalence of Bipolar Spectrum Disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2007 May; 64(5): 543-552. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1931566/

Alkermes Contacts:
For Investors: Sandy Coombs +1 781 609 6377
For Media: Marisa Borgasano +1 781 609 6659

SOURCE Alkermes plc

Related Links

http://www.alkermes.com

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Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease or disorder, whichever way you wish to categorize it. The current thinking is that unless someone finds a cure, treatment, or some way to address the cognitive decline associated with this neurologic disorder adequately, we will be swamped, drowning in effect in Alzheimer’s patients who require 24-hours-a-day care. It is known as the Silver Tsunami.

There is no question about it. As we improve our ability to live longer, thanks to advances in medical technology, we also decrease our ability to pay trillions of dollars for care worldwide. Too many questions are still involved in this complicated area, but one thing we know is that whoever finds the goose that lays the golden egg will be assured to be a billionaire.

Racing to find ways to address Alzheimer’s or other forms of cognitive decline has proven to be an area of intense interest. We have no idea or a limited idea regarding what causes Alzheimer’s, what neurobiological elements are involved in it, and when Alzheimer’s might first present itself.

Testing, whether paper and pencil and active questioning, serologic testing, or even dermatologic testing, have led us to too many blind alleys. The thinking had been that we nailed down the culprit, and it was a material called tau produced in cells in the brain and even in the skin.

Is tau truly diagnostic of Alzheimer’s, or is it something that is produced naturally in everyone’s body and varying levels of it may not be diagnostic of a cognitive declining disorder? When not involved in brain tissue entanglements, tau is natural and serves a good, supportive purpose in brain cells.

Today, I came across two interesting studies. One was that tea and coffee might, somehow, be involved in forestalling cognitive decline. My antenna immediately went up since it seemed that this was yet another attempt by someone to promote their product, namely coffee or tea.

We know that tea has specific properties that may help maintain our health. If you want an example, you might look at countries like India, where people drink tea exclusively and have numbers of citizens living over the age of 100.

I had seen an article about a woman who was 104 who had just learned to read. If anything, that is an outstanding accomplishment, but the fact that she was over 100 and learning to read was astonishing. Was it due to her drinking tea all of her life?

Findings from some research studies may prove interesting but not diagnostic. Another study that came to my attention was of persons with alopecia Arriaga (AA), a hair loss problem. The investigators found that persons with AA “were more likely to develop any dementia such as Alzheimer’s or unspecified dementia than the control group.” While this may seem shocking or exciting, please keep in mind that it may only point to the immune system having an active role in our developing certain types of dementia and depression.

Therefore, anyone with a disordered immune system may develop varying types of dementia. Dementia is wide-ranging and often difficult to nail down, even in clinical practice.

Many dementia misdiagnoses have been written in stone in charts, and then the patients have been treated accordingly. I suppose you think this is unacceptable or unethical. In that case, I agree with you, but I would also suggest that we need more robust testing, and we also need persons who are aware of their own biases when they test. Too often, older patients suffer from being the recipients of this ageist bias.

And it’s not restricted to dementia. A physician once told me he was asked to consult on a patient in a hospital. When he met the man, he asked one question: Has your hat size increased? After reviewing the man’s chart, the physician thought he might have gout, and an increase in head size would be potentially diagnostic. He was correct, and the man then received the proper treatment. Previously, they diagnosed him with hearing and cognitive deficits. Was it because he was elderly?

Allow me to provide a small bit of insight regarding testing. Psychiatrists are not trained the way psychologists are in psychological testing, yet they are expected to use cognitive testing in their practice, primarily in hospital settings.

The internet provides many tests from pharmaceutical firms to test for various psychiatric/psychological disorders. The tests may, in my estimation, not be as adequately validated as we might wish. Validation of test administration is also problematic. And they are not used by test-production companies that make them available for licensed mental healthcare personnel and detail the qualifications needed. Anyone can download them, even those tests that indicate they are not for clinical use.

I sat and watched a psychiatrist attempt to administer a cognition test for Alzheimer’s, and he did the one thing all of us are trained not to do. He led the patient in her responses. “You don’t know the city we’re in, do you?” was his first question. He was supposed to ask her (the list of questions was right in front of him) what city they were in, not offer that she didn’t know the name of the town.

Providing that kind of opening indicates to the patient that they are not likely to know the answer to the following questions that will be asked. It was a significant mistake, but the patient was obviously impaired and wouldn’t have gotten a good score regardless of how the task was administered. That is not the point, however. If someone is going to do psychological testing of any type, they should be adequately trained. The guidelines are online.

Intelligence testing is another area of contention, and I have seen too many psychologists administer them improperly. I recall a professor telling a student, “This is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, not the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale with Smile.” Smiling is not permitted in the rigid protocol.

A significant example of this related to a licensed clinical psychologist who was picked up on a highway on the West Coast of the US. She had abandoned her car and was in distress. The officers took her for an evaluation to the nearest hospital. It happened to provide care for persons with mental deficiencies. They administered an IQ test at the facility, and she scored less than 50, placing her in an impaired group.

The woman had a doctorate and, after a month, someone thought to look into her background and discovered facts that immediately indicated she needed to be transferred. Once at another facility, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, treated, and returned to her home on the East Coast. It is a stunning example of testing under the wrong conditions and with a person who is not in a condition to be tested for intelligence.

Remember that no one is perfect regardless of where they went to school or work. We all make mistakes, but in medicine or healthcare, the errors can be life-threatening or result in isolation and a major restriction of liberties. Power must be used with this knowledge.

Always question authority.

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