Development of New Antidepressants Eleni Palazidou
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Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (1997), vol. 3, pp. 46-51 Development of new antidepressants Eleni Palazidou The development of the first effective antidepressants noradrenergic system, led to the introduction of the in the late 1950s marked a turning point in the 'ßreceptor down-regulation hypothesis' proposed by treatment of depressive illness. In 1957 the mono- Sulser (1978), which challenged the hitherto univer amine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) iproniazid was sally accepted 'monoamine hypothesis' of depression. discovered by chance, while searching for new The latter assumed a reduction in brain noradren- antituberculous drugs. One year later the tricyclic aline and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) antidepressant (TCA) imipramine was introduced, concentrations as the cause of depression, therefore having been developed originally as an antipsychotic. requiring an increase in the availability of these A number of other drugs were subsequently added monoamines at the synaptic level to correct the deficit. to these two groups of antidepressants, which The ßreceptor down-regulation hypothesis proposed dominated the field for the next three decades. that a pathological 'supersensitivity' of the brain ß- In the 1970s and 1980s some new antidepressant adrenergic receptors was responsible for depressed drugs such as mianserin, zimeldine, nomifensine, mood state, and that this abnormality is corrected by maprotiline and trazodone were introduced. How antidepressant drug treatment, which leads to down- ever, it was the antidepressants developed in the late regulation (reduction in density) of ßreceptors. 1980s and the 1990s, more specifically the selective Subsequent research findings, however, show that serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs),which seriously the picture is much more complex. Changes in the threatened the position of the TCAs as the first-choice density and functional responsiveness of adrenergic drugs in the treatment of depression. receptors (the post-synaptic a, and pre-synaptic a, autoreceptors) as well as changes in the sensitivity of receptors within the serotoninergic (5-HT,and 5-HT,A Neurotransmitter function in receptor subtypes) and other central neurotransmitter systems have been demonstrated after chronic depression (>2 weeks) treatment with antidepressant drugs (Leonard, 1993), irrespective of their presumed pharmacological actions. The antidepressant drugs' The first-generation antidepressants served not ability to increase the availability of the neurotrans only as effective treatments for depression, but also mitter (noradrenaline or 5-HT) in the synaptic cleft, as investigative tools in the study of the bio by means of either inhibition of reuptake into the chemical basis of depression. A considerable body neuronal terminal (TCAs and SSRIs) or prevention of knowledge has been accumulated over the years of its breakdown (MAOIs), is only the beginning of a from both animal and clinical research, which used cascade of events involving changes in the sensitivity increasingly sophisticated methods such as of receptors at somatodendritic sites (5-HT1A receptor ligand technology and neuroimaging. receptors) and at the pre- and post-synaptic levels, as The introduction of receptor ligand technology in well as changes in neuronal signal transduction the 1970s allowed the examination of neuro- beyond the receptor. transmitter receptor status. Significant changes in the It is significant that the central neurotransmitter density of the receptors and in second messenger systems are functionally interdependent. The receptor production were demonstrated in animal exper changes described above are not limited to the iments on long-term antidepressant drug treatment. neurotransmitter system targeted by the particular The early experiments, limited to receptors within the antidepressant (the serotoninergic system for SSRIs Eleni Palazidou, MRCPsych, is Consultant Psychiatrist at the Royal London Hospital (St Clement's), 2A Bow Road, London E3 4LL, and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, MRC Psychopharmacology Unit. She is particularly interested in the treatment of affective disorders. Development of antidepressants APT (1997), vol. 3, p. 47 or both the serotoninergic and adrenergic systems for receptors were identified and the production of TCAs and MAOIs). The close anatomical and selective receptor agonists/antagonists allowed physiological relationship between the neurotrans- examination of these receptors. The introduction of mitter systems militates against the notion of the the SSRIswas a turning point in the pharmacotherapy presence of two distinct biochemical depressive of depression, and the serotoninergic neurotransmit subtypes. Clinical studies provide further evidence ter system became the focus of study. More recently against the view that there may be separate noradren- the SSRIs have been joined by other types of ergic and serotoninergic depressive groups, with antidepressants such as the reversible monoamine preferential response to adrenergic or serotoninergic oxidase inhibitors (RIMAs), the serotonin/noradren- agents, respectively (Montgomery, 1982;Emrichef al, aline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine, and other 1987). Nevertheless, there are subgroups of patients novel drugs. The new-generation antidepressants with specific clinical features who appear to respond differ from the older drugs in that they have a better to particular antidepressant drug groups. narrower pharmacological profile, increasing noradrenergic or serotoninergic activity, or both (Table 1), without significant direct effects on other central neurotransmitter systems. The main aims in the Development of new drugs development of the new antidepressants (which, so far, have only partly been achieved) were: (1) greater efficacy; The major progress made in our understanding of (2) absence of side-effects; the psychopharmacology of antidepressant drugs (3) lack of toxicity in overdose; and and the function of central neurotransmitter systems (4) earlier onset of action. in relation to mood state, guided the production of new antidepressants. The first antidepressants were discovered by serendipity, but subsequent antidepres Efficacy sant drug development has been to a great extent by design, with the noradrenergic and/or serotoninergic None of the antidepressants presently available has neurotransmitter systems as the primary targets. shown significantly superior efficacy in the In the 1970s and early 1980s the focus was on the treatment of depression in randomised controlled noradrenergic neurotransmitter system, partly trials or meta-analyses (see Anderson, 1997, this because of the greater understanding of its issue), although the possible superior efficacy in pharmacology, particularly in relation to receptor suicidality and the safety in overdose offer an function and the impact of the ßreceptor down- advantage to the SSRIs over TCAs in patients who regulation hypothesis of depression. The late 1980s present suicidal risk. In general, between 50 and 70% and the 1990s saw a rapid growth in the pharmacol of patients respond to the first antidepressant, ogy of the serotoninergic system. Several serotonin irrespective of its pharmacological profile. Tnble 1. Pharmacological actions of antidepressants Antidepressant Presumed mechanism of action Undesirable pharmacological actions TCAs Noradrenaline and 5-HT Anticholinergic; antihistaminic; c^-adrenoceptor reuptake inhibition antagonism; direct membrane stabilisation SSRIs 5-HT reuptake inhibition MAOIs Irreversible inhibition of MAO-A Interaction with tyramine and sympathomimetics; and MAO-B irreversible and non-selective MAO inhibition RIMA: moclobemide Reversible inhibition of MAO-A (Manerix) SNRI: venlafaxine 5-HT and noradrenaline reuptake (Effexor) inhibition Nefazodone 5-HT reuptake inhibition and 5-HT2 (Dutonin) receptor antagonism 5-HT, serotonin; MAO, monoamine oxidase; SSRIs - fluvoxamine (Faverin), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Seroxat), sertraline (Lustral), citalopram (Cipromin); MAOIs - phenelzine (Nardil), isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parstelin); RIMA, reversible MAO inhibitor; SNRI, 5-HT/noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor. APT (1997), vol. 3, p. 48 Palazidott Side-effects and safety in overdose Box 2. Side-effect profile of SSRIs The older antidepressants are associated with a range of side-effects, which may affect compliance and Nausea/vomiting render them potentially dangerous. The TCAs have Abdominal pain a spectrum of pharmacological actions, many of Dry mouth which are seen as non-therapeutic and are responsible Constipation/diarrhoea for their fairly extensive side-effect profile (Box 1). Headache Because of their selectivity for the serotoninergic Asthenia system, the SSRIsare largely devoid of other clinically Dizziness significant pharmacological effects. However, they do Insomnia/somnolence have side-effects due to the effects of the SSRIs on the Sweating serotoninergic system and particular 5-HT receptors Anorexia (Box 2); for example, nausea and vomiting are Weight loss probably due to enhanced 5-HT., receptor activity. Nervousness/agitation Meta-analyses comparing the tolerability of the side- Tremor effects of the TCAs with those of the SSRIs (see Convulsions Anderson, 1997), and the adverse effects of newer Dystönie reactions (paroxetine) and older antidepressants, and their interactions Sexual dysfunction (reduced libido, (Henry, 1997) are discussed elsewhere in this issue. anorgasmia) Costs The