Oxford University trials begin on bi-polar drug

Oxford University researchers have identified a new drug to help control bipolar disorder.

Specialists at the institution experimented with the newly-found ebselen drug on mice. It was found that the drug offers similar effects to lithium, which is currently the most common treatment for the disorder.

However, this new solution does not carry the same side-effects such as weight gain and kidney damage over the long-term.

Ebselen is known to be safe for use in humans and its capabilities as a treatment for bipolar can now be tested in clinical trials.

Dr Grant Churchill, of the department of pharmacology at Oxford University, explained that lithium has been in use for over 60 years and remains the most effective treatment for the condition, but highlighted its many side-effects.

"Ebselen is an experimental drug that has been tested in people for other conditions, and does not have problematic side-effects like lithium does. We urgently need to test if ebselen works like lithium in people," Dr Churchill explained.

The researchers reported their findings in the Nature Communications journal, with the work benefitting from funding from the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Bipolar is now a relatively common condition and can be experienced at any age, with estimates indicating that it affects one person in 100.

People with the disorder can experience sudden mood swings and periods of depression or mania that last for several weeks or more, with feelings often so severe that they have a drastic impact on everyday life.

Ebselen is an antioxidant that was originally developed up to phase III clinical trials by a Japanese drug company for use to treat stroke, though it never reached the pharma market.

"In mice, ebselen works like lithium. Most importantly, ebselen is an experimental drug that has been tested in people for other conditions, and does not have problematic side effects like lithium does.

"We urgently need to test if ebselen works like lithium in people," co-principal investigator Dr Grant Churchill of the Department of Pharmacology at Oxford University said.