DR.-WILLMAR-SCHWABE

'Expanding frontiers in the treatment of CNS diseases' was the promising and ambitious title of Schwabe’s symposium on the occasion of the 26th ECNP congress in Barcelona. Professor Siegfried Kasper (Medical University Vienna, Department of Biological Psychiatry and Psychotherapy), a well-known and equally well-respected psychiatrist, chaired the Monday afternoon event. The Symposium attracted a professional audience of medical experts from all fields of psychiatry and neurology to listen to and discuss the latest study results of Schwabe’s Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761®, Lavender essential oil Silexan® and Rhodiola rosea extract WS® 1375.

First, Professor Serge Gauthier (McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, Quebec, Canada) presented insights into the pathology and development of dementia and the differentiation between different types of dementia and also provided a discussion of treatment options. In numerous studies and meta-analyses, EGb 761® showed a significant superiority over placebo in clinical outcome parameters such as cognitive performance, activities of daily living and global ratings. The efficacy of EGb 761® in Alzheimer’s disease (with and without cerebrovascular disease) and vascular dementia, in combination with its superior safety, thus grants a better quality of life over a longer period of time for affected patients and therefore benefits caregivers and physicians. It also benefits patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms, a typical feature of dementia patients. Owing to its efficacy it has also been included in the WFSBP guidelines for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

With his lecture on the properties and capabilities of Schwabe’s lavender essential oil Silexan®, Professor Hans-Peter Volz (Schloss Werneck Hospital for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Germany) introduced a new therapeutic alternative in the field of anxiety disorder treatment. After presenting the broad prevalence of anxiety disorder in modern society, Professor Volz discussed differences in the definitions and diagnostic criteria of generalised and subthreshold anxiety disorders and the use of the HAM-A scale as an outcome measure of treatment success. The background of the clinical condition and different treatment options were presented. Silexan®, a novel, orally administered lavender oil preparation, might be able to close the gap between the need for anxiolytic efficacy and long term safety. The pharmacological properties of Silexan® were verified by the demonstrated mode of action. Further, promising results of three randomized, double-blind, multicentre clinical trials proved the efficacy of the new Schwabe product. The overwhelming results of three safety trials countered any possible concerns about the tolerability and interaction potential of the product. Professor Volz demonstrated that Silexan® shows superior clinical efficacy to placebo and even matches synthetical drugs in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Dr David Edwards (White House Surgery, Chipping Norton, United Kingdom) gave an overview on stress and its symptoms and consequences, and made it clear that stress is not a lifestyle diagnosis. He introduced Rhodiola rosea extract as a therapeutic alternative that goes beyond coping. In addition, he shared his insights from his study on the effect of Rhodiola rosea extract WS® 1375 (Vitango®) in subjects with life-stress symptoms. His lecture was supplemented by examples from his hands-on clinical experience as a GP and family physician. Furthermore, he introduced new results of a recently completed study with WS® 1375 in patients with symptoms of chronic fatigue, which is often associated with stress and exhaustion.

Overall, the Symposium was an eye-opener for the professional audience, since it showed interesting new treatment approaches and therapeutic options in the field of CNS diseases using Schwabe’s phytopharmaceutical products.

Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG is a world leader in the development and production of herbal drugs. The Schwabe Group has approx. 3,700 employees and is active with affiliates or partners on all five continents; headquarters are based in Karlsruhe, Germany.

EGb 761 ^® is a herbal drug for the treatment of cognitive impairment. It contains the special Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761^® developed by Dr. Willmar Schwabe. For more than 20 years the effects, efficacy and tolerability of EGb 761^® have been systematically investigated, thus making EGb 761^® today the best researched and documented herbal extract worldwide.

Silexan® is an orally administered essential oil from lavender in soft capsules. It was introduced with the brand name Lasea® in Germany in 2010 for the treatment of restlessness due to anxious moods.

Vitango® (WS® 1375) is a Rhodiola rosea extract product that is currently marketed in 5 European countries. Vitango® is authorized as a traditional herbal medicinal product for the relief of mental and physical symptoms of stress and overwork, such as fatigue, exhaustion, irritability and tenseness.

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Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG

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Judith Elbert
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Judith.Elbert@schwabe.de

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