Efficacy and safety of agomelatine in epilepsy patients with sleep and mood disorders: An observational, retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of agomelatine for treating the sleep and mood disorders in epilepsy patients. METHODS: Retrospective data were derived from 113 epilepsy patients for at least 8 weeks. All the subjects were divided into two groups, one was treated with agomelatine, the other was treated with escitalopram. Their depression and anxiety states were assessed by Hamilton Depression (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety (HAMA) Scales. Sleep quality was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RESULTS: The HAMA, HAMD and PSQI scores in both groups significantly declined after the treatments with agomelatine and escitalopram. However, the agomelatine group exhibited greater improvement in terms of HAMA and PSQI scores compared to the escitalopram group. No severe adverse events were observed in agomelatine group. SIGNIFICANCE: Agomelatine performed better in HAMA and PSQI scores compared to escitalopram, where no significant increase in seizure frequency or side effects were observed. Possibly, agomelatine presents a promising therapeutic option for treating the sleep or mood disorders in epilepsy patients.

Binding uric acid: a pure chemical solution for the treatment of hyperuricemia.

Hyperuricemia, characterized by elevated uric acid levels and subsequent crystal deposition, contributing to conditions such as gout, cardiovascular events, and kidney injury, poses a significant health threat, particularly in developed countries. Current drug options for treatment are limited, with safety concerns, leading to suboptimal therapeutic outcomes in symptomatic hyperuricemia patients and a lack of pharmaceutical interventions for asymptomatic cases. Distinguishing from the previous drug design strategies, we directly target uric acid, the pathological molecule of hyperuricemia, resulting in a pyrimidine derivative capable of increasing the solubility and excretion of uric acid by forming a complex with it. Its prodrug showed an anti-hyperuricemia activity comparable to benzbromarone and a favorable safety profile in vivo. Our finding provides a strategy purely based on organic chemistry to address the largely unmet therapeutic needs on novel anti-hyperuricemia drugs.