Research and development activities to bring vigor in antidepressant drugs market

Antidepressant drugs have become the first choice for treatment of depression. However, these drugs do not cure depression, but they can surely reduce the symptoms. There are a lot of antidepressants present in the market and clinicians have been offering the treatment in combination of different drugs. The researchers have always been striving to develop new drugs and treatments that can reduce the symptoms of depression. Various research and development activities across the world have shown surprising results. There has been significant increase in antidepressants among young populations. However, there is a bright side that only those drugs that have been in line with guideline recommended have been prescribed. So, it is not a bad thing that the consumption among young people is on the rise.

In another research activity, it was found that anti-inflammatory drugs can be used for treating depression. In addition, when these drugs are taken in combination with antidepressant drugs, their effectiveness is found to be increased. The research team from the U.S. found a new antidepressant drug that can be used instead of traditional drugs to gain rapid results. The drug will be launched soon. The market for antidepressant drugs is booming with research and development activities that can led to various findings. According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the antidepressant drugs market is expected to reach $15.98 billion by 2023. Following are some of the activities taking place in the across the world. 

Research activities have been conducted across the world and various universities have presented their surprising findings. According to the article published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, the rate of antidepressant medication is on the rise among young population. The research says that the rate of dispensing between people aged between one to 24 rose by nearly 44% during the nine-year study period. However, Sarah Hetrick, the co-author and associate professor of youth mental health at the University of Auckland, highlighted that the rise in rate of dispensing did not indicate that the rate of depression and anxiety was rising. She added that the types of medications dispensed were in line with recommended guidelines. The study showed that there was an increase in fluoxetine, which is the first line guideline-recommended antidepressant that is prescribed to someone suffering from depression. However, there has been decline in usage of tricyclic antidepressants or TCA as these should not be used by young people as they do not function well for the age group. This finding shows that it is a positive sign and those prescribing the drugs go as per the clinical recommendations. She also outlined that the trend of recommending prescriptions is consistent with the guidelines, so it is a good thing. 

With ongoing research activities, one of the new findings has come into light. According to the new study, anti-inflammatory drugs including aspirin and ibuprofen are able to fight depression effectively and can be a safe alternative to antidepressant drugs. There is one in six adults in Great Britain consume antidepressant drugs, however, these drugs do not work for nearly 30 percent. Moreover, they can give side effects including weight gain, insomnia, and nausea along with suicidal thoughts. The analysis of 30 studies that included 1,610 people outlined that NSAIDS (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) became nearly 79 percent more effective in a battle against major depression than a placebo. Researchers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China outlined that anti-inflammatory agents give promising effects and can be used for long term follow ups. Moreover, the study showed that other anti-inflammatory drugs such as statins and omega-3 fatty acids help in battling depression. They improve the efficacy of antidepressant drugs when taken together. 

The link between depression and inflammation was found out. There was a finding that stated people feel glum after vaccination with their immune system going up. In a similar way, people suffering from auto-immune conditions, in which immune system is not in control, can be diagnosed with depression. Studies proved that markers of inflammation ramped up in depressed people and they fall as their conditions gets better. Professor Alan Carson, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, outlined that depression is the price paid for immune system. The recent research studies proved that nerve cells in the brain have been linked with immune function and the impact can be there on each other. Prof. Ed Bullmore, the Head of Department of Psychiatry, at the University of Cambridge, highlighted that these findings would encourage considerations in which range of anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to treat people with depression.  

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