Research suggests that upwards of 16 million American adults (6.7% of the adult population) are afflicted with major depressive disorder (MDD), a neuropsychiatric condition characterized by overwhelming sadness, behavioral changes, sleep disturbances, and cognitive deficits. As of current, depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States among individuals between the ages of …
For individuals in the United States between the age of 15 and 44, major depression is the leading cause of disability. Major depression is often a heritable condition, caused by maladaptive genes getting transferred across generations. That said, not everyone diagnosed with major depressive disorder inherited the condition from ancestors or should be blaming their …
The quest to come up with a superior antidepressant is in full effect among biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Although there are some companies that are still tweaking various formulations of serotonergic, noradrenergic, and dopaminergic substances (e.g. triple reuptake inhibitors) others are thinking outside the box. Based on current trends, the next decade or two of …
ALKS-5461 is a new drug that is being developed by the company Alkermes as an alternative to SSRI’s for the treatment of depression. ALKS-5461 (its trial name) is a combination of both buprenorphine (suboxone) and samidorphan, and is regarded as a non-addictive opioid modulator and antidepressant. It is currently being developed specifically as an antidepressant …