Wednesday, January 07, 2004

Lilly Drug for Bipolar Disorder Approved
December 29 AP story reprinted at PsycPORT - "Eli Lilly and Co. on Monday said it has won regulatory approval to sell its new drug Symbyax to treat the depressive phase of bipolar disorder. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug, which is a combination of the active ingredients in two other drugs - the anti-depressant Prozac and the anti-psychotic Zyprexa, which is used for treating manic stages of bipolar disorder. Symbyax treats the depression stages of the illness without triggering mania, said Marni Lemons, a spokeswoman for the Indianapolis-based drug company. "  
  

$4.3 Million Available to Support Statewide Family Network and Consumer Network Grants
December 18 SAMHSA press release - " The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting grant applications for fiscal year 2004 to provide funding for family and consumer networks that support effective substance abuse and mental health service delivery to address the needs of children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances, and their families. SAMHSA anticipates that there will be $2.8million available in 2004 for 43 Statewide Family Network grants, with a limit of one award per state, of up to $60,000 per year. In addition, there will be $1.5 million available in 2004 for 20-22 statewide Consumer Network Grants of up to $70,000 per year, with a limit of one award per state." The application deadline is February 25.  
  

Arkansas executes mentally ill inmate
CNN story - "A mentally ill Arkansas man whose lawyers had argued the state couldn't legally execute him was put to death Tuesday night, while another death row inmate in the state won a last-minute stay of execution. ... Singleton's case had attracted the attention of mental health organizations and death penalty opponents, who point to a 1986 Supreme Court decision barring executing the insane. A 1990 Supreme Court decision allows the forced medication of inmates in certain cases. In February 2003, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that states may forcibly administer anti-psychotic medication to control a prisoner's behavior, even if doing so renders the prisoner eligible for execution. "