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TORONTO, June 11 /PRNewswire/ via NewsEdge Corporation -- The unique St. John's Wort extract LI 160 has a major role to play in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression, say experts meeting in Toronto for the American Psychiatric Association's Annual Meeting. But they caution consumers that not all extracts of St. John's Wort are the same and that only one extract known as LI 160 has extensive clinical evidence to support their recommendation. "It's important to know which St. John's Wort extracts have been clinically tested and to recommend only these to patients," says Dr. Jacques Bradwejn, psychiatrist at The Royal Ottawa Hospital. Dr. Bradwejn helped design the first North American head-to-head study which will compare the clinically proven St. John's Wort special extract LI 160 against a placebo, as well as a standard SSRI anti-depressant medication for more serious forms of depression. The study is sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health. "There is good clinical evidence to support the use of the LI 160 St. John's Wort preparation for the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression," says Dr. Michael Evans, staff physician at the Toronto Hospital and the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine, referring to several LI 160 studies published in Europe. "If my patients ask for a recommendation, I go where there is real evidence of its success." In European clinical studies, Kira(R) with LI 160 special extract (the preparation being used in the NIMH study) appears to be as effective as conventional anti-depressants for the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression. The NIMH study will determine the efficacy of St. John's Wort LI 160 in more severe forms of depression. "We're very excited about this study because it will provide answers that can be integrated into mainstream mental health treatment," says Dr. Bradwejn. The three-year study will enroll hundreds of patients with depression who will be randomly assigned to one of three treatment arms -- special St. John's Wort extract LI 160, a traditional SSRI anti-depressant or a placebo. Dr. Jonathan Davidson, Director of the Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Center at Duke University Medical Centre in North Carolina and Principal Investigator of the NIMH study says, "St. John's Wort is a good choice for a study because there is a reasonable body of evidence from Europe to suggest that this herbal extract can help people with depression." Since 1990, over 25 clinical studies have been published in Europe using the special extract LI 160 formulation, involving over 5,600 people. Kira(R) with special extract LI 160 is the most tested St. John's Wort formulation on the market and the only St. John's Wort supplement proven in extensive and ongoing research to help people maintain a healthy emotional balance. Commenting on the current use of St. John's Wort in the clinical management of mild-to-moderate depression, Dr. Evans says, "There are two scenarios where I recommend St. John's Wort -- for patients who don't meet all of the criteria for major depression and for patients who will not take traditional anti-depressants." Dr. Evans sees the role of the physician to be that of an educator, providing the pros and cons of self-medicating with alternative treatments, a role that requires physicians to continually learn about new evidence-based alternative treatments for patients. Kira(R), the only St. John's Wort with LI 160 Special Extract is distributed in Canada by Hilary's Distribution Limited, a leading Canadian distributor of phytopharmaceuticals, including KWAI(R), a popular standardized garlic supplement. SOURCE The Hilary Corporation /CONTACT: Natalie Pavlenko, 416-413-4649, or Amanda Furlong, 416-413-4738, both for the Hilary Corporation; or 1-800-565-4535/