Why It’s So Hard to Develop a New Drug for Depression
Depression is still mystifying to researchers
In a March 2019 study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine reported that they had identified and tested a new compound for depression that may work differently from all other depression drugs on the market.
As part of the study, researchers put mice in a cage with a bigger and more aggressive mouse for 10 minutes a day. The smaller mice were bullied and started to isolate themselves by hanging out in an empty corner of their cage. These “depressed” mice were then given daily doses of a new compound called JHU-083, which succeeded in bringing back the rodents’ sociable personas.
The study, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, suggests that the drug may lower signs of depression in mice by targeting immune cells and tamping down on inflammation in the brain that may be interfering with important brain connections. The results are compelling, but very early. And as history suggests, developing a truly new drug for mental illness is no easy task, as the brain is one of the most mystery-laden areas of medicine.
While drug development is a complex and lengthy process by default, the discovery of new medications for depression is especially fraught. The brain is a highly complicated organ and…
