Bipolar affective disorder is one of the most common, severe, and persistent mental illnesses. It is characterized by periods of deep, prolonged, and profound depressions that alternate with periods of excessively elevated and/or irritable mood (mania). The pathophysiology of bipolar disorder is complex, and can include an inheritable component, administration of antidepressant medications, behavioral sensitization processes, and neuronal calcium dysregulation that leads to apoptosis of critical brain circuitry that regulates emotion. Addressing the dysregulation in calcium levels in the central nervous system by administering compounds such as MEM 1003 may have the potential for altering the cyclical course or progression of bipolar disorder.
MEM 1003 is the (+)-enantiomer of a dihydropyridine that has been optimized for central nervous system activity. It inhibits L-type Ca2+ channels and within the anticipated human dosing range has more benign cardiovascular effects than other DHP L-Type calcium channel modulators.
