How Deplin Compares to Folic Acid

• Folic acid requires a 4 step transformation process to be converted to the active form of folate, L-methylfolate. Dietary folate requires 3-steps.
• L-methylfolate is absorbed directly in the active form that can immediately cross the blood brain barrier for use.
• L-methylfolate is unaffected by the C->T polymorphism.

Why Folic Acid cannot be substituted for Deplin®

Prevalence of C->T Polymorphism in General Population¹

Prevalence of T/T Polymorphism in depressed patients⁵

• Allelic frequency of the C/T mutation is about 40 to 55% in the general population. ²⁴
• The frequency of the T/T mutation has been shown to be about 10 to 12 % in the general population and reported to be as high as 22% in Hispanic and Mediterranean populations.²⁵
• Patients who have the MTHFR C->T genotypes have a 1.36 times greater chance of developing depression and reported as high as 4 times the general population.^26,27
• The odds of having the T/T genotype is twice as great in depressed patients verses the normal population.^16,28

1. Popakostas, J. Clinical Psychiatry; 2004, 1090-1095
2. Bottiglieri T, Prog in Neuro-Psychopharm & Bio Psych, 2005
3. Bjelland, I., et. al; . Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 2003, 618-626
4. Procopciuc L.M., Presented at Biological Psychiatry, Poster P86
5. Arinami T, AM J. Medical Genetics 1997
6. Kelly B., Journal of Psychopharmacology 18(4) (2004) 567-571

Bioavailability

Peak Plasma Levels of L-Methylfolate vs. folic acid: The peak concentration of the active natural stereoisomer 6(S) 5-MTHF following the administration of 6(R,S)-5-MTHF was more than seven times higher compared to the peak level of the 6(S) 5-MTHF following the administration of folic acid (Figure 3), irrespective of the patient's MTHFR genotype (Figure 7).17

* Willems, et al, British Jrnl of Pharmacology, 2004