NEW DRUG OFFERS FRESH APPROACH TO DEPRESSION

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People who describe their depression as mental
pain may not be so far off the mark, researchers said Thursday.

They said an experimental new drug that targets the body's pain
processes also works against depression.

The findings, by scientists at Merck and Co., may open new approaches
for anti-depressant drugs.

Mark Kramer and colleagues at Merck were investigating substance P, a
chemical known to play a role in pain. It was discovered 67 years ago,
but its exact chemical structure was not defined until 1970.

Early research has indicated that drugs that interfere with substance
P might help relieve anxiety, psychosis, pain and inflammation, as
well as depression.

Kramer's team has developed a drug that does interfere with substance
P, known as MK-869.

Reporting in the journal Science, they said the drug stopped baby
guinea pigs from crying out for their mothers when separated.

They gave about 200 human patients with major depression either
MK-869, paroxetine, a popular antidepressant sold by SmithKline
Beecham under the name Paxil, or a placebo dummy pill.

Of the patients given MK-869, 54 percent showed a 50 percent
improvement in depression symptoms, they wrote. Forty-six percent of
those given Paxil showed that much improvement, and just 28 percent of
the placebo group.

``These findings suggest that substance P may play an important role
in psychiatric disorders,'' the researchers wrote.

Side-effects included headaches, sleepiness and nausea.

Merck has been telling pharmaceutical industry analysts about its work
with substance P, and other drug companies are working on drugs that
take the same approach.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry