ASCEnD study medications 

At the moment, there are few treatments on offer for people experiencing bipolar depression. NICE currently recommends three treatments for bipolar depression: 

• Olanzapine (with or without fluoxetine). 

• Quetiapine (currently the most commonly used medication for the treatment of bipolar). 

• Lamotrigine. 

These drugs don’t work for everyone. Some of these drugs have side effects such as sedation (feeling sleepy) and gaining weight. GPs cannot often prescribe them. 

Aripiprazole is already used to treat and prevent mania in bipolar. Unlike two of the NICE-recommended treatments, aripiprazole is much less likely to cause  

• weight gain 

• diabetes (blood sugar which is too high) 

• raised cholesterol (unhealthy fat in your blood) 

Aripiprazole is also used to treat depression in people who don’t have bipolar. In this case, it is usually combined with another anti-depressant, such as an SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor). 

Antidepressants can be very effective in people experiencing unipolar depression. GPs can often prescribe them. But currently there is not much evidence about how well antidepressants work for people living with bipolar depression. 

A previous small trial suggested that combining aripiprazole with an antidepressant may be effective in bipolar depression. The combination may have fewer side-effects than current treatments. 

It is time now for a larger trial to see if this combination works. ASCEnD is looking at how clinically and cost-effective this combination of aripiprazole / sertraline is as a treatment for bipolar depression. 

This study may offer a new, safe and effective treatment for people with bipolar.