Novel mechanisms to treat depression and anxiety: Will neuropeptide antagonists succeed?

Current anti-depressant treatments do not completely fulfill our expectations in terms of efficacy, onset of action and side effects. For decades, both industrial and academic groups have struggled to identify alternative treatments acting through novel mechanisms of action to solve these problems. Here we review four examples of neuropeptide receptor blockers. These new compounds, which are known to modulate classical neurotransmitter pathways, may offer ways to target more specific subsets of depressed populations. We will evaluate options for profiling these new drug approaches to enhance their likelihood to reach the market.

Section editors:David Sibley – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USAC. Anthony Altar – Psychiatric Genomics, Gaithersburg, USATheresa Branchek – Lundbeck Research, Paramus, USA