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Weiss F, Pacciardi B, D’Alessandro G, Caruso V, Maremmani I, Pini S, Perugi G. The Role of Vortioxetine in the Treatment of Depressive Symptoms in General Hospital Psychiatry: A Case-Series and PRISMA-Compliant Systematic Review of the Literature. J Clin Med 2024; 13:531. [PMID: 38256665 PMCID: PMC10816732 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13020531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Depressive symptoms are a customary finding in hospitalized patients, particularly those who are undergoing long hospitalizations, underwent major surgical procedures or suffer from high levels of multimorbidity and frailty. The patients included in this case series shared high degrees of frailty-complexity and were evaluated within the ordinary consultation and liaison psychiatry service of the University Hospital in Pisa, Italy, from September 2021 to June 2023. Patients were administered at least one follow-up evaluation after a week and before discharge. To relate this case series to the extant literature, a comprehensive systematic review of vortioxetine safety and efficacy was performed. None of the six patients included developed serious safety issues, but one patient complained of mild-to-moderate nausea for some days after the vortioxetine introduction. Five out of six patients exhibited at least a slight clinical benefit as measured by the clinical global impression scale. Of the 858 entries screened via Scopus and Medline/PubMed, a total of 134 papers were included in our review. The present case series provides preliminary evidence for vortioxetine's safety in this healthcare domain. The literature reviewed in this paper seems to endorse a promising safety profile and a very peculiar efficacy niche for vortioxetine in consultation and liaison psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Weiss
- Psychiatric Unit 2, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy; (F.W.); (B.P.); (G.D.); (V.C.); (S.P.); (G.P.)
| | - Bruno Pacciardi
- Psychiatric Unit 2, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy; (F.W.); (B.P.); (G.D.); (V.C.); (S.P.); (G.P.)
| | - Giulia D’Alessandro
- Psychiatric Unit 2, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy; (F.W.); (B.P.); (G.D.); (V.C.); (S.P.); (G.P.)
| | - Valerio Caruso
- Psychiatric Unit 2, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy; (F.W.); (B.P.); (G.D.); (V.C.); (S.P.); (G.P.)
| | - Icro Maremmani
- Psychiatric Unit 2, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy; (F.W.); (B.P.); (G.D.); (V.C.); (S.P.); (G.P.)
- G. De Lisio Institute of Behavioural Sciences, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Pini
- Psychiatric Unit 2, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy; (F.W.); (B.P.); (G.D.); (V.C.); (S.P.); (G.P.)
| | - Giulio Perugi
- Psychiatric Unit 2, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy; (F.W.); (B.P.); (G.D.); (V.C.); (S.P.); (G.P.)
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Melaragno AJ. Pharmacotherapy for Anxiety Disorders: From First-Line Options to Treatment Resistance. FOCUS (AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC PUBLISHING) 2021; 19:145-160. [PMID: 34690578 PMCID: PMC8475920 DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.20200048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this review, the author examines the evidence for psychopharmacologic treatments among adults for generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder derived from clinical trials. For each disorder, major categories of drugs are reviewed, and then the evidence-based medications in each category are discussed. The author reviews key safety and tolerability considerations for each of the medications or classes. Evidence-based dosing for most specific agents is displayed in a comprehensive reference table. Subsequently, the author synthesizes the available information to suggest a pragmatic stepwise approach to treatment that accounts for patient-specific factors. To inform the guidance, the author incorporates and refines perspectives from treatment guidelines already written by clinical professional organizations. The author also briefly reviews the relatively new quantitative systematic review methodology of network meta-analysis (NMA) and discusses how NMA may help guide pharmacologic treatment sequencing decisions in the future by way of ranking treatments according to effect size and the relative amount of study to which treatments have been subject. Caveats of NMA studies are briefly discussed, as are results of recent NMAs regarding the pharmacologic treatment of anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Melaragno
- Division of Medical Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston; Department of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School, Boston
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3
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Garakani A, Murrough JW, Freire RC, Thom RP, Larkin K, Buono FD, Iosifescu DV. Pharmacotherapy of Anxiety Disorders: Current and Emerging Treatment Options. FOCUS (AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC PUBLISHING) 2021; 19:222-242. [PMID: 34690588 PMCID: PMC8475923 DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.19203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
(Appeared originally in Frontiers in Psychiatry 2020 Dec 23; 11:595584)
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5-HT 1A Serotonergic, α-Adrenergic and Opioidergic Receptors Mediate the Analgesic Efficacy of Vortioxetine in Mice. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26113242. [PMID: 34071269 PMCID: PMC8199248 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26113242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Vortioxetine is a multimodal antidepressant drug that affects several brain neurochemicals and has the potential to induce various pharmacological effects on the central nervous system. Therefore, we investigated the centrally mediated analgesic efficacy of this drug and the mechanisms underlying this effect. Analgesic activity of vortioxetine (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, p.o.) was examined by tail-clip, tail-immersion and hot-plate tests. Motor performance of animals was evaluated using Rota-rod device. Time course measurements (30-180 min) showed that vortioxetine (10 and 20 mg/kg) administrations significantly increased the response latency, percent maximum possible effect and area under the curve values in all of the nociceptive tests. These data pointed out the analgesic effect of vortioxetine on central pathways carrying acute thermal and mechanical nociceptive stimuli. Vortioxetine did not alter the motor coordination of mice indicating that the analgesic activity of this drug was specific. In mechanistic studies, pre-treatments with p-chlorophenylalanine (serotonin-synthesis inhibitor), NAN-190 (serotonin 5-HT1A receptor antagonist), α-methyl-para-tyrosine (catecholamine-synthesis inhibitor), phentolamine (non-selective α-adrenoceptor blocker), and naloxone (non-selective opioid receptor blocker) antagonised the vortioxetine-induced analgesia. Obtained findings indicated that vortioxetine-induced analgesia is mediated by 5-HT1A serotonergic, α-adrenergic and opioidergic receptors, and contributions of central serotonergic and catecholaminergic neurotransmissions are critical for this effect.
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5
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Caldirola D, Alciati A, Cuniberti F, Perna G. Experimental Drugs for Panic Disorder: An Updated Systematic Review. J Exp Pharmacol 2021; 13:441-459. [PMID: 33889031 PMCID: PMC8055642 DOI: 10.2147/jep.s261403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Several effective pharmacological therapies for panic disorder (PD) are available, but they have some drawbacks, and unsatisfactory outcomes can occur. Expanding the variety of anti-panic medications may allow for improving PD treatment. The authors performed an updated systematic review of preclinical and clinical (Phase I–III) pharmacological studies to look for advances made in the last six years concerning novel-mechanism-based anti-panic compounds or using medications approved for nonpsychiatric medical conditions to treat PD. The study included seven published articles presenting a series of preclinical studies, two Phase I clinical studies with orexin receptor (OXR) antagonists, and two clinical studies investigating the effects of D-cycloserine (DCS) and xenon gas in individuals with PD. The latest preclinical findings confirmed and expanded previous promising indications of OXR1 antagonists as novel-mechanism-based anti-panic compounds. Translating preclinical research into clinical applications remains in the early stages. However, limited clinical findings suggested the selective OXR1 antagonist JNJ-61393115 may exert anti-panic effects in humans. Overall, OXR1 antagonists displayed a favorable profile of short-term safety and tolerability. Very preliminary suggestions of possible anti-panic effects of xenon gas emerged but need confirmation with more rigorous methodology. DCS did not seem promising as an enhancer of cognitive-behavioral therapy in PD. Future studies, including objective panic-related physiological parameters, such as respiratory measures, and expanding the use of panic vulnerability biomarkers, such as hypersensitivity to CO2 panic provocation, may allow for more reliable conclusions about the anti-panic properties of new compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Caldirola
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, 20090, Italy.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Como, 22032, Italy
| | - Alessandra Alciati
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, 20090, Italy.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Como, 22032, Italy.,Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, IRCCS, Milan, Rozzano, 20089, Italy
| | - Francesco Cuniberti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, 20090, Italy.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Como, 22032, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Perna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, 20090, Italy.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Como, 22032, Italy
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Efficacy of Vortioxetine Monotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2021; 41:172-179. [PMID: 33587394 DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0000000000001363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND There are few efficacious pharmacological treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and many patients fail to benefit from existing treatments. Vortioxetine, a recently developed antidepressant, acts as a serotonin modulator through inhibition of the serotonin transporter and actions at multiple types of serotonin receptors. Its unique pharmacodynamic profile suggests it may have efficacy for the treatment of PTSD. METHODS/PROCEDURES We conducted a 12-week placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial of vortioxetine (flexibly dosed from 10 to 20 mg/d) versus placebo in adults with PTSD. The primary outcome was change from baseline in the past-month version of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5), analyzed using a mixed-model repeated-measures analysis of variance. FINDINGS/RESULTS Forty-one patients were randomized, and 32 (78%) completed the 12 weeks of treatment. The mean reduction in CAPS-5 scores at week 12 did not significantly differ between the 2 arms; the effect size for the difference in changes between vortioxetine and placebo on CAPS-5 total scores at week 12 was Cohen d = 0.29. However, at week 8, the drug-placebo difference was d = 0.78, which met the multivariate criteria for statistical significance, P = 0.014. IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS In this study of 41 patients, vortioxetine did not demonstrate superiority over placebo for adults with PTSD. Future PTSD trials may benefit from stratifying the randomization based on number of years since the index traumatic event and a history of failure to respond to treatment.
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7
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Adamo D, Calabria E, Coppola N, Pecoraro G, Mignogna MD. Vortioxetine as a new frontier in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain: a review and update. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol 2021; 11:20451253211034320. [PMID: 34497709 PMCID: PMC8419528 DOI: 10.1177/20451253211034320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) is a disabling medical condition that impairs the health-related quality-of-life of affected patients. A high prevalence of anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance and cognitive impairment has frequently been reported in association with CNP, making the management of this disease complex and often multidisciplinary. Dual-acting agents such as selective serotonin and noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are considered particularly useful in the modulation of pain and in treatment of the mood disorders frequently associated with CNP. Recent evidence suggests that the top-down inhibitory control of pain involves the engagement and enhancement of descending endogenous opioidergic, cannabinoid and serotonergic systems, with the effect of serotonin being particularly related to the receptor subtypes that are preferentially activated; indeed serotonin induces analgesia via activation of 5-HT7 receptors and hyperalgesia via activation of 5-HT3 receptors. Vortioxetine (VO) is a novel multimodal serotonergic antidepressant with a unique mechanism of action. It has been demonstrated recently in experimental and clinical studies to have efficacy on pain hypersensitivity and on mood disorders. This drug inhibits the serotonin transporter with a high affinity, antagonises the 5-HT3, 5-HT1D and 5HT7 serotonin receptors, and activates the 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors. In clinical studies, VO has proved effective at a dose of 10-20 mg/daily in short- and long-term treatment of patients with chronic orofacial pain, demonstrating a higher rate of clinical response and remission, a better acceptability, safety rate and tolerability, and a lower latency of action compared with other antidepressants. In the light of these recent findings, VO may be considered as a new pharmacological treatment also in relation to various types of CNP, particularly in elderly patients with concomitant mood disorders and cognitive impairment. The purpose of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of the pharmacology and clinical applications of VO and to highlight its potential therapeutic properties and advantages in the management of CNP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Adamo
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Elena Calabria
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University Federico II of Naples, via Pansini no.5, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Noemi Coppola
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pecoraro
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Michele Davide Mignogna
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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8
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Panic Disorder Induced by the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic in a Patient with Organic Mood Disorder Successfully Treated with Vortioxetine. Case Rep Psychiatry 2020; 2020:8870014. [PMID: 33204562 PMCID: PMC7655243 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8870014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a case of panic disorder induced by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in a patient with an organic mood disorder. The patient was a 62-year-old woman with mild mood swings and reduced motivation and volition caused by a traumatic brain injury after a traffic accident. She was maintained on carbamazepine (600 mg/day). When the COVID-19 outbreak occurred in Japan, she developed concerns regarding the illness and complained of multiple episodes of panic attacks. Further, her depressive symptoms worsened. Thus, vortioxetine was added to the ongoing CBZ treatment. Four weeks after initiating vortioxetine treatment, the symptoms of panic disorder and depressive state were ameliorated. The present case suggests that vortioxetine augmentation can improve symptoms of depressive state and panic disorder induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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9
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Moazen-Zadeh E, Bayanati S, Ziafat K, Rezaei F, Mesgarpour B, Akhondzadeh S. Vortioxetine as adjunctive therapy to risperidone for treatment of patients with chronic schizophrenia: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Psychopharmacol 2020; 34:506-513. [PMID: 32122230 DOI: 10.1177/0269881120909416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Vortioxetine, a novel antidepressant, may be an interesting candidate for adjunctive therapy of schizophrenia. Our primary objective was to investigate the effect of vortioxetine on negative symptoms, with the assessment of positive, general psychopathology and total symptoms as our secondary goal. METHODS This was an eight-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial, in which 78 inpatients with chronic schizophrenia were stabilised with risperidone (4-6 mg/day) for two months before being assigned to adjunctive vortioxetine (10 mg b.i.d.) or placebo. The patients were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale during the study course. All participants had a PANSS negative symptoms subscale score of ⩾16 at baseline. Sixty-eight patients completed the trial. RESULTS Vortioxetine improved the negative symptoms score as the primary outcome and total PANSS score as a secondary outcome significantly better than placebo from baseline to end point at week 8, accompanied by significant time × treatment interactions and effect sizes (negative symptoms: mean difference (95% confidence interval (CI)) = -1.82 (-2.73 to -0.92); total scores: mean difference (95% CI) = -2.09 (-3.16 to -1.01). No significant difference was detected for changes in positive symptoms score or PANSS general psychopathology score as the other secondary outcomes from baseline to end point between the two treatment arms. The incidence of adverse events was comparable between groups. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to provide evidence for the therapeutic effect of vortioxetine on negative symptoms as an adjunctive to treatment with antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Moazen-Zadeh
- Psychiatric Research Centre, Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Samaneh Bayanati
- Psychiatric Research Centre, Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kimia Ziafat
- Psychiatric Research Centre, Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Farzin Rezaei
- Qods Hospital, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Bita Mesgarpour
- National Institute for Medical Research Development (NIMAD), Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahin Akhondzadeh
- Psychiatric Research Centre, Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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10
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Garakani A, Murrough JW, Freire RC, Thom RP, Larkin K, Buono FD, Iosifescu DV. Pharmacotherapy of Anxiety Disorders: Current and Emerging Treatment Options. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:595584. [PMID: 33424664 PMCID: PMC7786299 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.595584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders and a leading cause of disability. While there continues to be expansive research in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and schizophrenia, there is a relative dearth of novel medications under investigation for anxiety disorders. This review's first aim is to summarize current pharmacological treatments (both approved and off-label) for panic disorder (PD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and specific phobias (SP), including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), azapirones (e.g., buspirone), mixed antidepressants (e.g., mirtazapine), antipsychotics, antihistamines (e.g., hydroxyzine), alpha- and beta-adrenergic medications (e.g., propranolol, clonidine), and GABAergic medications (benzodiazepines, pregabalin, and gabapentin). Posttraumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder are excluded from this review. Second, we will review novel pharmacotherapeutic agents under investigation for the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults. The pathways and neurotransmitters reviewed include serotonergic agents, glutamate modulators, GABAergic medications, neuropeptides, neurosteroids, alpha- and beta-adrenergic agents, cannabinoids, and natural remedies. The outcome of the review reveals a lack of randomized double-blind placebo- controlled trials for anxiety disorders and few studies comparing novel treatments to existing anxiolytic agents. Although there are some recent randomized controlled trials for novel agents including neuropeptides, glutamatergic agents (such as ketamine and d-cycloserine), and cannabinoids (including cannabidiol) primarily in GAD or SAD, these trials have largely been negative, with only some promise for kava and PH94B (an inhaled neurosteroid). Overall, the progression of current and future psychopharmacology research in anxiety disorders suggests that there needs to be further expansion in research of these novel pathways and larger-scale studies of promising agents with positive results from smaller trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Garakani
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Silver Hill Hospital, New Canaan, CT, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - James W Murrough
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Rafael C Freire
- Department of Psychiatry and Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Robyn P Thom
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kaitlyn Larkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Frank D Buono
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Dan V Iosifescu
- Clinical Research Division, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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Comparative efficacy and acceptability of first-line drugs for the acute treatment of generalized anxiety disorder in adults: A network meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 118:21-30. [PMID: 31473564 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The guide recommends SSRI and SNRI drugs as first-line treatments for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Therefore, we aimed to update the evidence using network meta-analysis by comparing the efficacy and acceptability of first-line drugs. The relevant electronic databases were searched for placebo-controlled and head-to-head trials of 11 drugs used for the acute treatment of adults with GAD from 1980 up to January 1, 2019. Data on demographics, clinical, and treatment information were extracted from each eligible study. The primary outcomes were efficacy (quantified as the change in the total score on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale from baseline) and acceptability (quantified as treatment discontinuations due to any cause). Overall, the data on 41 RCTs were sufficient or appropriate for inclusion. In terms of efficacy, all of the drugs except fluoxetine and vortioxetine were more effective than placebo, with the weighted mean difference of the Hamilton Anxiety Scale score ranging between -3.2 (95% credible interval [CrI] = -4.2 to -2.2) for escitalopram and -1·8 (95% CrI = -3.1 to -0.55) for vilazodone. For acceptability, only vilazodone (OR = 1.7, 95% CrI = 1.1 to 2.7) were worse than placebo, others did not show significant differences from placebo. In head-to-head comparisons, vortioxetine showed better acceptability and tolerability but worse efficacy and response rate. In conclusion, most drugs are more effective than placebo, and there are few significant differences between the active drugs and placebo on acceptability. Overall, duloxetine and escitalopram showed better efficacy while vortioxetine showed better acceptability.
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12
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Sartori SB, Singewald N. Novel pharmacological targets in drug development for the treatment of anxiety and anxiety-related disorders. Pharmacol Ther 2019; 204:107402. [PMID: 31470029 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2019.107402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Current medication for anxiety disorders is suboptimal in terms of efficiency and tolerability, highlighting the need for improved drug treatments. In this review an overview of drugs being studied in different phases of clinical trials for their potential in the treatment of fear-, anxiety- and trauma-related disorders is presented. One strategy followed in drug development is refining and improving compounds interacting with existing anxiolytic drug targets, such as serotonergic and prototypical GABAergic benzodiazepines. A more innovative approach involves the search for compounds with novel mechanisms of anxiolytic action using the growing knowledge base concerning the relevant neurocircuitries and neurobiological mechanisms underlying pathological fear and anxiety. The target systems evaluated in clinical trials include glutamate, endocannabinoid and neuropeptide systems, as well as ion channels and targets derived from phytochemicals. Examples of promising novel candidates currently in clinical development for generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder include ketamine, riluzole, xenon with one common pharmacological action of modulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission, as well as the neurosteroid aloradine. Finally, compounds such as D-cycloserine, MDMA, L-DOPA and cannabinoids have shown efficacy in enhancing fear-extinction learning in humans. They are thus investigated in clinical trials as an augmentative strategy for speeding up and enhancing the long-term effectiveness of exposure-based psychotherapy, which could render chronic anxiolytic drug treatment dispensable for many patients. These efforts are indicative of a rekindled interest and renewed optimism in the anxiety drug discovery field, after decades of relative stagnation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone B Sartori
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Leopold Franzens University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nicolas Singewald
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Leopold Franzens University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
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13
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Zugliani MM, Cabo MC, Nardi AE, Perna G, Freire RC. Pharmacological and Neuromodulatory Treatments for Panic Disorder: Clinical Trials from 2010 to 2018. Psychiatry Investig 2019; 16:50-58. [PMID: 30696238 PMCID: PMC6354041 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2018.12.21.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Treatment for panic disorder (PD) have evolved, although there is still a strong unmet need for more effective and tolerable options. The present study summarizes and discusses recent evidence regarding the pharmacological and neuromodulatory treatment of PD. METHODS MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and Thomson Reuters's Web of Science were searched for clinical trials published between 2010 and 2018. We included all prospective experimental studies including randomized controlled trials (RCT) and other clinical trials with more than 10 patients. RESULTS Only 11 articles met the inclusion criteria, including 4 RCT, 3 open clinical trials and 5 comparative clinical trials. RCT demonstrated efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in only one of two trials. Neither pindolol nor d-fenfluramine were effective in blocking flumazenil-induced panic attacks. Augmentation with quetiapine was not superior to placebo. Open trials indicated that escitalopram, vortioxetine and TMS may be effective. Comparative trials did not demonstrate superiority from any drug, but confirmed tranylcypromine, paroxetine, clonazepam and alprazolam as effective options. CONCLUSION The current study confirmed the efficacy of tranylcypromine, paroxetine, clonazepam, alprazolam and escitalopram. Vortioxetine and TMS, with duration of 4 or more weeks, also seems to be effective. Quetiapine, pindolol and d-fenfluramine were not considered effective compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morena M. Zugliani
- Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mariana C. Cabo
- Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Antonio E. Nardi
- Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Giampaolo Perna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Villa San Benedetto Menni, Hermanas Hospitalarias, FoRiPsi, Albese con Cassano, Italy
| | - Rafael C. Freire
- Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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