Experimental agent briefly eases depression rapidly in test

Monday, December 10, 2012

Works in brain like ketamine, with fewer side effects – NIH trial

A drug that works through the same brain mechanism as the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine briefly improved treatment-resistant patients' depression symptoms in minutes, with minimal untoward side effects, in a clinical trial conducted by the National Institutes of Health. The experimental agent, called AZD6765, acts through the brain's glutamate chemical messenger system.