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Oct 24, 2024 · A new study, funded in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, showed that a new medication derived from ketamine is safe and acceptable for use in humans, setting the stage for clinical trials testing it for hard-to-treat mental disorders like severe depression.
Jul 26, 2023 · Esketamine. Esketamine is a new antidepressant drug approved in 2019 by the FDA to treat depression that hasn’t improved with other medications. It belongs to the class of medications called N ...
- Overview
- Brexanolone
- Esketamine
- Agomelatine
- The bottom line
Antidepressants are medications that can help relieve depression symptoms, like fatigue and emotional numbness.
Several different kinds of antidepressants exist, but the most commonly prescribed are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Fluoxetine (Prozac) entered the market in 1988 as the first SSRI, and for the next 30 years, many experts considered SSRIs the “modern” antidepressant.
In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two new antidepressants, brexanolone and esketamine. There’s also been renewed interest in agomelatine, an antidepressant not currently available in the United States.
In 2019, the FDA approved brexanolone (Zulresso) as the first drug specifically designed to treat moderate to severe postpartum depression (PPD).
Experts consider some SSRIs safe to take while pregnant or nursing, but these medications may not lead to much improvement for several weeks. When you have PPD, symptoms don’t just affect your own well-being — they can also have long-term effects on your bond with your baby.
Brexanolone, however, begins to take effect immediately. According to two randomized clinical trials published in 2018, this medication can significantly reduce PPD symptoms — benefits that held when researchers followed up with participants 30 days after treatment.
Learn more about treatment for postpartum depression.
Esketamine (Spravato) is a chemical cousin of the anesthetic ketamine. The FDA approved esketamine in 2019 to treat treatment-resistant depression, or depression that persists after you try at least two different antidepressant treatments.
During clinical trials, doctors gave participants a nasal esketamine spray or a placebo spray. All participants also took an oral antidepressant they hadn’t tried before. Compared to people who took an oral antidepressant and used a placebo spray, those who used the esketamine spray reported greater symptom relief and longer symptom-free periods.
Agomelatine (Valdoxan), an oral antidepressant, has been available in some other countries since 2009, though you can’t get this medication in the United States.
You take agomelatine as a 25-mg pill once a day at bedtime. If your depression symptoms don’t respond, a doctor may increase the dose to 50 mg per day.
Agomelatine may have particular benefit for depression that:
•involves disruptions in your circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle)
•involves anhedonia, or difficulty feeling pleasure
•happens with a health condition, such as Parkinson’s disease or type II diabetes
Brexanolone and esketamine appear to have the most benefit for postpartum depression and treatment-resistant depression, respectively. These medications also come with a high price tag that can make them harder to access.
Agomelatine can effectively treat a wider range of depression subtypes. But it also carries a risk of liver toxicity, and it hasn’t been approved for use in the United States.
To sum up, these medications likely won’t replace SSRIs as the first line of treatment for other types of depression anytime soon. Still, their existence opens up possibilities for future advances in depression treatment.
Emily Swaim is a freelance health writer and editor who specializes in psychology. She has a BA in English from Kenyon College and an MFA in writing from California College of the Arts. In 2021, she received her Board of Editors in Life Sciences (BELS) certification. You can find more of her work on GoodTherapy, Verywell, Investopedia, Vox, and Insider. Find her on Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Emily Swaim
Jul 15, 2024 · In terms of treatments for depression, both psychotherapy and medications have been shown to help. Commonly prescribed antidepressants have small- to medium-sized effects, with amitriptyline ...
- Arash Emamzadeh
Jan 14, 2023 · Depression is common, costly, debilitating, and associated with increased risk of suicide. It is one of the leading global public health problems. Although existing available pharmacological treatments can be effective, their onset of action can take up to 6 weeks, side-effects are common, and recovery can require treatment with multiple different agents. Although psychosocial interventions ...
The Sequenced Treatment to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) trial conducted almost 20 years ago established response rates of 40-60% after a six to eight week trial of antidepressants that act on monoamines.7 Up to 30% of people with a diagnosis of MDD are resistant to traditional drug treatments and considered treatment resistant.8 No set definition for treatment-resistant depression exists ...
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Jan 3, 2023 · In August 2022, dextromethorphan-bupropion (Auvelity) was approved by the FDA to treat major depressive disorder in adults. Research suggests it works faster than a traditional antidepressant.
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related to: Can new drugs help treat depression?Consider an oral treatment for adults with Major Depressive Disorder. Talk to your doctor. Learn how it's different, view trial results and access resources for savings and support.
Ask Your Doctor About a Treatment for Major Depression in Adults. Learn More Today. Reduce Symptoms of Treatment-Resistant Depression. Learn About This TRD Option For Adults.
