There May Be a New First-Line Treatment for Depression
This year, Axsome Therapeutics (NASDAQ: AXSM) will be filing a New Drug Application for a novel therapy to treat depression. For millions of adults with depression worldwide, the drug candidate may rapidly replace traditional standards of care.
Currently, patients experiencing depression are prescribed standard antidepressants classified as either selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (such as Prozac) or ketamines (an anesthetic). There are problems with both types of drugs.
For the former, it can take up to weeks or months for the treatment to take effect, and it can lead to diminishing sexual desires and may increase suicidal tendencies. As for the latter, while a single dose of ketamine can lead to alleviation of depression within in a few hours, it can cause what are known as psychotomimetic side effects. This means certain patients will exhibit signs of psychosis after treatment, or worse, delirium.
Source Fool.com
