Background and Aims Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by the occurrence of one or more depressive episodes lasting a minimum of 2 weeks and is marked by a persistently low mood and a lack of enjoyment in daily activities. The diagnosis of MDD is not possible by a well‐established laboratory test or biomarker. A wide range of potential biomarkers for depression have been proposed by many studies, but none of them has adequately described the correlation between the biomarkers and depression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist (IL‐1RA) levels as an early depression risk factor. Methods The present case‐control study included 88 participants. Among them, 44 MDD patients enrolled from the psychiatry department of a public hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and 44 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls (HCs) from various sites in Dhaka city. A qualified psychiatrist evaluated the cases and HCs based on the fifth edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM‐5). The Hamilton depression (Ham‐D) rating scale was employed to evaluate the intensity of depression. An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit (Boster Bio, USA) was used to determine serum IL‐1RA concentrations. Results We observed no marked alteration in the serum concentration of IL‐1RA in MDD patients in comparison to HCs (292.81 ± 24.81 and 288 ± 24.87 pg/mL; p > 0.05). Among MDD patients, we found no noteworthy association between the severity of depression and serum IL‐1RA levels. Conclusion The findings of the present study imply that IL‐1RA may not be identified as a promising biomarker for risk assessment of depression. However, its neuroprotective role may be taken into consideration for the understanding of pathophysiology of MDD.

Aims: This study investigated whether locally marketed rosuvastatin calcium tablets in Bangladesh have comparable physical and chemical attributes, including in vitro bioequivalence profiles, to the proprietary brand. Methodology: Nine generic products (G1-G9) containing 10 mg of rosuvastatin calcium were compared to the proprietary brand Crestor® (R1) and an FDA approved generic rosuvastatin calcium tablet (R2). Weight variation, diameter, thickness, friability, drug content, disintegration time and dissolution profiles were tested according to United States Pharmacopeia (USP) guidelines. In vitro bioequivalence requirements were assessed by calculating difference (f1) and similarity (f2) factors. Results: The generic products complied with the pharmacopeial requirements for weight variation, disintegration time and friability. All the tablets had drug ranging between 92%-105% and released more than 80% of rosuvastatin within first 15-30 minutes. However, for brands G5, G7 and G8 the f1 values were 15.7%, 15.82% and 25.21% respectively and their f2 values were 41.8, 41.6 and 32.6 respectively whereas for G9 the f2 value was 43.4. These brands have thus failed to meet in vitro bioequivalence requirements. Conclusion: We conclude that few substandard generics of rosuvastatin calcium has somehow found its way to the market and further studies are required to ascertain their noncompliance.