This presentation gives a broad and comprehensive overview of anti-depressants. Mono-aminergic theory of depression which forms the basis of development of anti-depressant drugs is given along with the history of development of these drugs. Subsequently, mechanism-based classification, uses, efficacy and general adverse effects of anti-depressants are systematically described. Hopefully, this slide-share would be useful to medical students and also to those studying clinical pharmacy, and undergoing basic training in pharmaceutical marketing.
2. EVOLUTION OF TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION
•Psychoanalysis (Sigmund Freud) -1800s.
•ECT -1930s
•MAO-Is – 1950s (From an anti-TB drug Iproniazid)
•TCAs -1950 1960s
•SSRIs -1970 1980s
13-10-2019ANTI-DEPRESSANT DRUGS. Dr. Ashok Kumar Batham,M.D.,
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3. MONOAMINERGIC THEORY OF DEPRESSION
& ITS TREATMENT
• Endogenous depression is caused by synaptic deficiency of
neurotransmitters – NE, 5HT and DA in brain associated with up-
regulation of post-synaptic receptors
• Depletion of monoamines by reserpine leads to Depression
• TCAs and SSRIs block neuronal reuptake mechanisms, thereby
building up monoamine levels and allaying depression
• MAO-Is lead to build-up of monoamines and alleviate
depression
• Lithium controls manic episodes by reducing brain NE levels
13-10-2019ANTI-DEPRESSANT DRUGS. Dr. Ashok Kumar Batham,M.D.,
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4. FUNCTIONS OF NEUROTRANSMITTER -
SEROTONIN
• “Feel good hormone”
• Contributes to feeling of well-being and good mood
• Appetite control
• Social behavior
• Obsessions
• Compulsions and
• Regulation of sleep-wake cycle and internal clock.
• Abnormality in Serotonin neurotransmission leads to obsession and
compulsion
13-10-2019ANTI-DEPRESSANT DRUGS. Dr. Ashok Kumar Batham,M.D.,
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5. FUNCTIONS OF NEUROTRANSMITTER –
NOREPINEPHRINE
• Regulation of emotions
• Increases alertness and focus
• Helps retrieval of memory
• Prepares the brain for action
• Abnormality in NE neurotransmission leads to lethargy and
apathy
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6. FUNCTIONS OF NEUROTRANSMITTER -
DOPAMINE
• Reward-motivated behaviour - creates feelings of pleasure and reward,
which motivates to repeat a specific behaviour,
• Attention,
• Enthusiasm,
• Memory,
• Imagery,
• Control of muscle tone and motor movement, and
• Nausea.
• Abnormality in Dopamine neurotransmission leads to reduced ability to
feel pleasure, decreased attention, cognitive slowing, apathy, reduced
imagery
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7. HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT OF ANTI-DEPRESSANTS -1
• In 1951, Irving Selikoff and Edward H. Robitzek (de), working out of Sea
View Hospital on Staten Island, NY, began clinical trials on two new anti-
tuberculosis agents developed by Hoffman-LaRoche, isoniazid and
iproniazid.
• 1952-53 - A Cincinnati psychiatrist Max Lurie and Harry Salzer reported
that isoniazid improved depression in two thirds of their patients and
coined the term antidepressant. MoA was understood to be weak MAO-
Inhibition.
• 1953 - Selikoff and Robitzek also experimented with another anti-
tuberculosis drug, iproniazid; it showed a greater psychostimulant effect,
due to MAO-Inhibition. Turned out to have more pronounced toxicity
(withdrawn in 1961 due to lethal hepatotoxicity)
13-10-2019ANTI-DEPRESSANT DRUGS. Dr. Ashok Kumar Batham,M.D.,
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8. • Roland Kuhn in conjunction with Geigy Pharmaceutical
Company discovered the tricyclic compound "G 22355", later
named imipramine.
• Imipramine had a beneficial effect in patients with depression
who showed mental and motor retardation.
• Kuhn described his new compound as a "thymoleptic" "taking
hold of the emotions," in contrast with neuroleptics, "taking hold
of the nerves" in 1955–56.
HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT OF ANTI-DEPRESSANTS - 2
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9. • Rational drug design led to identification of antihistamine-
derived compounds to selectively target Serotonin reuptake.
The first such compound to be patented was zimelidine in 1971,
while the first to be released for clinical was indalpine.
• Fluoxetine was developed at Eli Lilly and Company in the early
1970s by Bryan Molloy, Klaus Schmiegel, David T. Wong and
others.
• Fluoxetine approved for commercial use by the US FDA in 1988,
and became the first blockbuster SSRI.
• Novel antidepressants, such as SNRIs and NRIs with various
selective effects developed.
HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT OF ANTI-DEPRESSANTS -3
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33. EFFICACY OF ANTIDEPRESSANTS
• Strong evidence supports use of antidepressants in
chronic and severe depression.
• Conflicting results studies analysing the efficacy of
Antidepressants Vs Placebo in acute mild to moderate
depression.
• A metaanalysis of 21 clinical trials, published in Lancet,
found antidepressants to be more effective than placebo
in major depressive disorder in adults.
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34. LIMITATIONS OF ANTIDEPRESSANTS
•In clinical studies, approximately 1/3rd of patients
achieved full remission, 1/3rd experienced partial
response and 1/3rd turned out as non-responders.
•30% - 50% of individuals treated with a given
antidepressant do not show a response.
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35. AUGMENTATION & COMBINATION OF
ANTIDEPRESSANTS
American Psychiatric Association guidelines suggest
Adding a drug from another class with a different MoA,
and
Augmentation therapy with drugs like, Lithium, thyroxine,
dopamine agonists, sex steroids, NRIs, glucocorticoid-
specific agents, or the newer anticonvulsants and
psychostimulants.
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36. LONG TERM USE
• High relapse rate after conclusion of treatment.
• A meta-analysis of 31 placebo-controlled antidepressant trials of
1-year treatment, in 2003, found that 18% of responders
relapsed during therapy and 41% patients switched-over to
Placebo relapsed.
• Therefore, pharmacotherapy for acute episode followed by
psychotherapy.
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37. GENERAL ADVERSE EFFECTS OF
ANTI-DEPRESSANTS
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38. SEROTONIN SYNDROME
• Serious ADR reported with high doses, and in
combination with other drugs
• Rarely fatal
• Characterized by mania, restlessness, agitation,
emotional lability, insomnia and confusion
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39. HYPERTENSIVE CRISIS-CHEESE REACTION WITH MAO-
INHIBITORS
• MAOIs. Can cause a serious, pronounced, and sometimes fatal
interactions with:
Certain drugs (sympathomimetics),
OTC medications for common cold containing nasal decongestants,
Foods containing very high levels of tyramine (mature cheese, cured
meats, or yeast extracts).
• Characterized by a potentially lethal hypertensive crisis.
• At lower doses an increased BP causing headache, giddiness, confusion,
agitation
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40. RISK OF SUICIDE
• Use of antidepressants is correlated with an increased risk of suicidal
behaviour and thinking (suicidality) in those aged under 25.
• US FDA - the heightened risk of suicidality is within the first one to
two months of treatment.
• NICE places the excess risk in the "early stages of treatment".
• No effect or possibly a mild protective effect in patients aged 25 to
64 years (OR=0.79).
• Protective effect against suicidality among those aged 65 and over
(OR=0.37).
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41. ANTI-DEPRESSANT-INDUCED MANIA
• Patients with bipolar disorder run the risk of getting
antidepressant-induced mania.
• Can occur in 20–40% of patients of bipolar disorder.
• Most often SSRIs can exacerbate or trigger symptoms of
hypomania and mania.
• Since many cases of bipolar depression are very similar to
unipolar depression, therefore, bipolar patient can be
misdiagnosed and exposed to the risk of precipitation of mania.
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42. EMOTIONAL BLUNTING
•Emotional blunting - both positive and negative
can occur.
•This may necessitate a dose reduction or change
of medication.
•The mechanism of this effect is unknown.
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43. EFFECTS ON BODY WEIGHT
• Body weight changes depend on the predominant effect
of antidepressant on neurotransmitters.
• Mirtazapine and paroxetine produce weight gain
and/or increased appetite.
• Fluoxetine, Bupropion and Venlafaxine cause weight loss
due to decreased appetite.
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44. ATROPINE-LIKE EFFECTS OF TCA
• Dryness of mouth
• Loss of sweating – interference with heat-regulating mechanisms
• Difficulty in near-vision due to interference with accommodation of
lense
• Tachycardia, palpitations
• Constipation
• Difficulty in micturition, particularly in presence of obstructive uropathy,
eg BPH
• Mental confusion, delirium
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45. SEXUAL SIDE EFFECTS
• Common with SSRIs, and include loss of sexual drive, failure to reach orgasm, and erectile
dysfunction.
• In a study of 1022 outpatients, overall sexual dysfunction with all antidepressants averaged
59.1%.
• MoA relating to effects of serotonin on 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors; decreased
dopamine; decreased norepinephrine; blockade of cholinergic and α1-adrenergic
receptors; inhibition of nitric oxide synthetase; and elevation of prolactin levels.
• Moclobemide, a RIMA does not cause sexual dysfunction, and can actually lead to an
improvement in all aspects of sexual function.
• Mirtazapine is reported to have fewer sexual side-effects, most likely because it
antagonizes 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors and may, in some cases, reverse sexual
dysfunction induced by SSRIs by the same mechanism.
• Bupropion, a weak NDRI and nicotinic antagonist, may be useful in treating reduced libido
as a result of SSRI treatment.
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46. SAFETY IN PREGNANCY
• Increased risk of spontaneous abortion of about 1.7-fold, preterm birth and
low birth weight with SSRIs.
• A study found a 27% increased risk of major malformations in SSRI
exposed pregnancies.
• Fluoxetine-exposure during pregnancies caused a 12% increase in the risk
of major malformations in a study.
• A systematic review and meta-analysis in 2013 could not show statistically
significant increased risk of major birth defects in antidepressant-exposed
pregnancies compared to non-exposed pregnancies.
• The FDA advises for the risk of birth defects with the use of paroxetine
• MAO-Is should be avoided.
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47. DISCONTINUATION SYNDROME
• Antidepressant discontinuation symptoms were first reported
with imipramine in the late 1950s, and similar reports appeared
for monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), SSRIs, and SNRIs.
• By the year 2001, at least 21 different antidepressants,
representing all the major classes, were reported to cause
discontinuation syndromes mostly in case reports.
• Incidence is difficult to determine and controversial.
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