Promising new pharmacological targets for depression: the search for efficacy

Drug Discov Today. 2023 Oct 19:103804. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103804. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPharmacological treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) still relies on the use of serotonergic drugs, despite their limited efficacy. A few mechanistically new drugs have been developed in recent years, but many fail in clinical trials. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain MDD pathophysiology, indicating that physiological processes such as neuroplasticity, circadian rhythms, and metabolism are potential targets. Here, we review the current state of pharmacological treatments for MDD and their problems, as well as the preclinical and clinical evidence for an antidepressant effect of molecules that target non-serotonergic systems. We offer some insights into the challenges facing the development of new antidepressant drugs.PMID:37865307 | DOI:10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103804

Source: Drug Discovery Today - October 21, 2023 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Lucila Emiko Tsugiyama Ruan Carlos Macedo Moraes Yaslle Andrade Cavalcante Moraes Jose Francis-Oliveira Source Type: research