12-Week Study Evaluating the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Adjunctive Infliximab for Bipolar I/II Depression

Summary

Studies show the presence of immuno-inflammatory disturbances in individuals with Bipolar Disorders (BD). Increased levels of circulating proteins known as cytokines that promote inflammation have been consistently reported in individuals with bipolar disorders. A particular cytokine referred to as Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-alpha is among those cytokines that have been consistently identified across depressive, manic, and euthymic periods. Disturbances in inflammation however, are not seen in all individual with bipolar disorder. Those individuals with signs of inflammation also often present with higher prevalence of medical disorders that are also associated with inflammation. Those individuals with significant signs of inflammation may respond to anti-inflammatory treatments. In this study, individuals with bipolar depression who exhibit signs of high inflammation will be enrolled and treated with either an anti-inflammatory biologic known as infliximab or placebo (saline).

Timeline

Start

2015-09

Primary completion

2017-04

Completion

2017-04

Publications

• Lee Y, Mansur RB, Brietzke E, Carmona NE, Subramaniapillai M, Pan Z, Shekotikhina M, Rosenblat JD, Suppes T, Cosgrove VE, Kramer NE, McIntyre RS. Efficacy of adjunctive infliximab vs. placebo in the treatment of anhedonia in bipolar I/II depression. Brain Behav Immun. 2020 Aug;88:631-639. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.063. Epub 2020 May 4.
• McIntyre RS, Subramaniapillai M, Lee Y, Pan Z, Carmona NE, Shekotikhina M, Rosenblat JD, Brietzke E, Soczynska JK, Cosgrove VE, Miller S, Fischer EG, Kramer NE, Dunlap K, Suppes T, Mansur RB. Efficacy of Adjunctive Infliximab vs Placebo in the Treatment of Adults With Bipolar I/II Depression: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019 Aug 1;76(8):783-790. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0779.
• Lee Y, Subramaniapillai M, Brietzke E, Mansur RB, Ho RC, Yim SJ, McIntyre RS. Anti-cytokine agents for anhedonia: targeting inflammation and the immune system to treat dimensional disturbances in depression. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2018 Nov 19;8(12):337-348. doi: 10.1177/2045125318791944. eCollection 2018 Dec.

Drugs

Indications