depression

Neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are among the leading causes of disability worldwide. Almost one billion people globally — roughly one out of eight individuals — live with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders the most common, according to the World Health Organization. Yet current therapies such as selective serotonin reuptake…

A randomized placebo-controlled Phase 2 study found that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)–assisted therapy yielded significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms for up to 16 weeks. The data from the study was recently published in the peer-reviewed Biological Psychiatry. Researchers at the University Hospital Basel (UHB) conducted the investigator-initiated study, which involved 42 patients. While…

A comprehensive review published in Molecular Psychiatry found scant evidence for the so-called serotonin hypothesis, suggesting that diminished serotonin pathways’ activity is associated with depression. The authors conclude that the research provides “no consistent evidence of an association between serotonin and depression.” They also note they could not find support for “the hypothesis that depression is caused…

The U.S. has perhaps never been more divided than it is today. Americans are divided over politics and myriad social issues, COVID-19, climate change, immigration and seemingly everything else.  Not surprisingly, opinions also diverge on whether psychedelic drugs have therapeutic potential. Earlier this year, a survey from The Harris Poll found that 65% of Americans with anxiety,…

Interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics is booming, given their therapeutic potential for treating depression and other conditions. It is telling that psychedelics were among the hottest topics at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting this year in Davos, Switzerland, prompting mockery from late-night comics.  Although the field remains embryonic, part of the reason for the…

A growing number of small studies indicate that psilocybin, a psychoactive compound in hallucinogenic mushrooms, holds promise for treating depression, addiction and anxiety. But while traditional psychedelics like psilocybin may have broad potential, making effective therapeutic use of them at scale is likely to be challenging in the near term, said psilocybin advocate Derek Chase,…

Scientists found milk components that may treat central nervous system (CNS) conditions, including anxiety and depression. These are new generation compounds that showed promising results in preclinical studies, predicting the avoidance of side effects caused by anxiolytics and antidepressants found in pharmacies. Milk can indeed calm down many people — just think of the glasses…

Interest in the dissociative anesthetic ketamine continues to be strong as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression and similar conditions. But the enthusiasm surrounding the drug is likely higher than the quality of evidence supporting its use to treat severe depression. Research into the drug’s potential to treat depression, however, is ramping up. One small study…

PurMinds believes psychedelics hold promise for neurological conditions Interest in psychedelics has ratched up in recent years and a growing number of drug companies are beginning to explore their potential to treat everything from depression to neurodegeneration. “It is a really really exciting time,” said Aron Buchman, chief strategy officer, PurMinds BioPharma, which is exploring…

Many researchers are exploring the potential of the psychedelic compound psilocybin to treat conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. But psilocybin offers broader therapeutic promise as it appears to spur neuroplasticity, according to Greg McKee, CEO of Tryp Therapeutics (San Diego). The company is exploring the use of psilocybin-based drugs for treating eating disorders…

Sage Therapeutics’ (NSDQ:SAGE) and Biogen’s (NSDQ:BIIB) experimental depression drug zuranolone fared well in a Phase 3 clinical trial comparing it to placebo in the treatment of postpartum depression. The investigational drug demonstrated meaningful improvements in terms of the baseline 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) score, the most common clinician-administered depression assessment scoring system.…

The magic mushroom compound psilocybin appeared to be slightly more effective than the selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor escitalopram (Lexapro) in a small study recently published in NEJM.   In the Phase 2 study, which tracked 59 patients over six weeks, the psilocybin group had an approximately 8-point average drop in the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (Self-Report) questionnaire…