Depression: Clinical Development Programs Reduce as Big Players Switch Research Focus

May 12, 2011 - PRLog -- According to the report ‘R&D Trends: Depression’ now available at: http://www.pharmaceutical-market-research.com/go/DAT27458 several drugs have progressed through the pipeline for depression in recent years, including Pristiq (desvenlafaxine; Pfizer), Oleptro (trazodone extended release; Labopharm), and Viibryd (Forest) in the US, and Valdoxan (agomelatine; Servier/Novartis) in the EU. Despite the heightened competition within the marketplace, an abundance of drugs remain in the pipeline.

There are 46 separate programs across all stages of clinical development for depression, down from 66 in 2007 with a notably high attrition of early-stage projects. Reasons for this include promising new targets failing to yield an effective antidepressant, and big players such as GlaxoSmithKline switching its research focus.

Although depleted, the early-stage pipeline still has the potential to change current treatment algorithms, which are dominated by monoamine reuptake inhibitors. Popular approaches include glutamate and neuropeptide receptor modulation. The report sees the future of treatment in depression as the specific targeting of treatment-resistant patients.

Clinical trial design in depression is largely standardised. Although not required, head-to-head trials may allow for a more favourable label and explicit marketing claims. The report believes that future trials will be designed for regulatory approval in patients with treatment-resistant depression, or for use as an add-on to existing therapies.

Product ID: DAT27458

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