CME 
JOBS 
OUTBREAKS 
PEER-TO-PEER 
QUIZZES & QUESTIONS 
MEDTECH Is it the dawn of a new era in MDD treatment?
The landscape of pharmacotherapy for major depressive disorder (MDD) is undergoing a significant transformation. After decades of limited progress, new classes of antidepressants such as ketamine derivatives, NMDA antagonists, and neurosteroids are showing promise in clinical trials. These developments could be game-changing for patients who have not responded to traditional first- and second-line treatments.
HCN Medical Memo
For physicians treating patients with MDD, the emerging pharmacotherapies offer a glimmer of hope. The new classes of drugs not only promise to address the unmet needs in MDD treatment but also provide options for faster onset of benefits and treatment of more complex symptoms like suicidal ideation. It’s crucial to stay updated on these advancements as they have the potential to revolutionize your approach to treating MDD.
Key Points:
- Ketamine and its derivative, S-ketamine, have shown antidepressant effects, with the latter being FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression.
- Orally administered NMDA antagonists like the combination of bupropion and dextromethorphan have shown an 11.1-point decline in MADRS total score at week 2 in clinical trials.
- Neurosteroids such as brexanolone and zuranolone modulate GABA neurotransmission and have shown significant reductions in depression symptoms without the risk of tolerance or dependence.
- Psychedelic drugs like psilocybin are under investigation for their potential in treating treatment-resistant depression.
Additional Points:
- The response rate to traditional antidepressants has stagnated between 52% and 54% over the last 40 years.
- Lifetime depression rates have surged from 19.6% in 2015 to a record high of 29.0% in 2023.
- Some of the new drugs like ketamine and esketamine are Schedule III controlled substances, requiring careful consideration of potential abuse and side effects.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the leading cause of disability among individuals aged 15 to 44.
Related Posts
