DRUGS falling under the category Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) exert their therapeutic action by restoring balance of Serotonin, the mood-infleuncing neurotransmitter in the brain. The latest and probably the most successful SSRI drug to date is Lexapro (Escitalopram Oxalate), known as Cipralex in Europe. Let's consider this drug from the viewpoint of its chemistry and pharmacology.
Chemistry: Escitalopram is an active enantiomer of Citalopram. Escitalopram Oxalate is a fine crystalline salt with color varying from white to yellow. It is completely soluble in ethanol, moderately soluble in water, and slightly soluble in acetone. Its chemical name is: S (+)-1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1, 3-dihydroisobenzofuran-5-carbonitrile hydrogen oxalate.
Escitalopram Oxalate content in one Lexapro tablet usually ranges from 5mg to 20mg.
The other ingredients of Lexapro are: · Cellulose - microcrystalline · Croscarmellose sodium · Hypromellose · Silica - colloidal anhydrous · Talc · Magnesium stearate · Macrogol 400 · Titanium dioxide
How it works: Even though the mechanism of psychiatric disorders is still a subject of research, it is fairly well established that psychiatric disorders are triggered by an imbalance of neurotransmitters inside the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that enable nerve cells to communicate with each other. One such neurotransmitter is serotonin, the brain’s ‘feel good’ chemical. Depression and anxiety are considered to be a result of an imbalance in serotonin.
When serotonin is released from one nerve cell and transmitted to the next, the first cell reabsorbs a part of it. Lexapro inhibits this re-absorption by the first cell as a result of which the availability of serotonin in the subsequent nerve cell is increased. Thus, Lexapro restores serotonin balance in the brain and helps bolster ‘good mood’ in patients with psychiatric disorders.
Other SSRI drugs: Though we have specifically considered Lexapro in this repoprt, the pharmacology of all SSRI drugs is the same, with variations seen in terms of efficacy and side-effects only.
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