Methods of treating depression and other related diseases

Abstract

The invention relates to methods for treating depression, anxiety, and other related diseases by administering a peptide NMDAR partial agonist.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for treating a patient suffering from depression, comprising administering an effective amount of a GLYX peptide to said patient. 
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said depression is selected from the group consisting of major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, psychotic depression, postpartum depression, seasonal affective disorder, bipolar disorder, bipolar depression, mood disorder, depressions caused by chronic medical conditions such as cancer or chronic pain, chemotherapy, chronic stress, post traumatic stress disorders, and manic depressive disorder. 
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the effective amount is about 0.01 mg/kg to about 1000 mg/kg per day. 
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said GLYX peptide is GLYX-13. 
     
     
         5 . A method for treating anxiety in a patient in need thereof, comprising administering an effective amount of a GLYX peptide to said patient. 
     
     
         6 . A method for treating schizophrenia in a patient in need thereof, comprising administering an effective amount of a GLYX peptide to said patient. 
     
     
         7 . A method as in  claim 5 , wherein the effective amount is about 0.01 mg/kg to about 1000 mg/kg per day. 
     
     
         8 . A method as in  claim 5 , wherein the GLYX peptide is GLYX-13. 
     
     
         9 . A method of acutely treating symptoms of depression in a patient in need thereof, comprising administering an effective amount of GLYX-13 in a single unit dose, whereby said patient is substantially relieved of at least one symptom within about 1 day to about 14 days after said administration. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said patient is substantially relieved of at least one symptom within about 1 day to about 7 days or less after said administration. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said patient is substantially relieved of at least one symptom within about 12 hours to about 1 day after said administration. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said patient is substantially relieved of at least one symptom within about 1 hour to about 12 hours after said administration. 
     
     
         13 . A method of treating or alleviating depression in a patient in need thereof, comprising administering an effective amount of GLYX-13 to said patient, whereby said patient is substantially relieved of at least one symptom within about 7 days, about 1 day, or about 1 hour after said administration. 
     
     
         14 . A method of treating refractory depression in a treatment-resistant patient in need thereof, comprising administering an effective dose of GLYX-13 to said patient, whereby said patient is substantially relieved of at least one symptom within about 14 days. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the treatment-resistant patient is identified as one who has been treated with at least two types of antidepressant treatments prior to administration of GLYX-13. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the treatment-resistant patient is identified as one who is unwilling or unable to tolerate a side effect of at least one type of antidepressant treatment. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the GLYX peptide is represented by: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, homologs, or hydrates thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the GLYX peptide is the acetate salt.