Psychiatric drugs can be the difference between life or death for some. Others, psychiatric medications are the difference between chaos and life. Following the medication pipeline can be crucial for many people.
Oh, those days when you took “shrooms” in college and went to the planetarium. Who would have thought that we’d still be discussing psilocybin in 50 years?
One in five adults in the United States is believed to be on psychiatric medication. Similar numbers exist in the United Kingdom.
There are some who say that psychiatric medications are not just useless but harmful. We must do this for those who rely on them and believe in their efficacy, and to continue the search for a better one.
We will review the pipeline in order of disorder. As you can imagine there is a lot of information and it’s impossible to cover everything in one article.
We’ll cover post-traumatic disorder, major depression, and generalized anxiety disorder. And we’ll come back for part two and hit attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia.
If we’re still on the topic, if you are interested in taking part in a US Food and Drug Administration clinical trial for any drug under development, anywhere in the globe, visit the database . The UK has the same service at ScanMedicine.
Let’s get busy…
The latest on the psychiatric drug pipeline
The information you are about to read is short and simple. You can find links to all the details at the end.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
MM120
Mind Medicine received groundbreaking therapy designation for its lysergide-d-tartrate treatment, MM120 for GAD. The company released positive results from a phase two ( of four) trial.
MM120, or tartrate salt, is a form of lysergide. This semi-synthetic drug, also known as LSD, produces hallucinations.
According to David Feifel MD, Ph.D., the study’s investigator…
Since over 20 years, I have conducted clinical research in psychiatry and seen many studies on drugs being developed for anxiety treatment. It is remarkable that MM120 showed rapid and robust efficacy for 12 weeks following a single dosage.
The study showed that MM120 is generally well tolerated, with the majority of adverse events being mild to moderate and transient. They also occurred on the day of dosing.
Mind Medicine plans to start a phase three clinical trial of MM120 during the second half 2024.
Major depressive disorder (MDD)
The first two drugs we’re going to discuss influence NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors in the brain. NMDA, or glutamate, is a receptor for glutamate, which is our most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter.
The glutamate receptors are a good target because they play a role in many important brain functions and diseases. Neuroplasticity is one activity that’s responsible for the brain adapting to different conditions.
Currently, two FDA-approved psychiatric medications that target NMDA are available: esketamine Sprovato and dextromethorphan/bupropion ( auvelity).
Esmethadone
Esmethadone, a NMDA-receptor antagonist, is believed to modulate glutamate systems and produce antidepressive effects
Methadone is a drug that we’ve all heard about. Esmethadone’s structure is different enough to eliminate the opioid effect and add antidepressive effects. Esmethadone also increases levels of BDNF , which is a critical .
Esmethadone was significantly superior to placebo in a phase 2a trial involving psychiatric patients with MDD. Phase 3 studies have begun.
Navacaprant
Navacaprant is being developed by Neumora Therapeutics and targets kopioid opioid receptors. It was shown in a phase 2 trial that it significantly improved depressive symptoms in patients with moderate-to-severe MDD, including anhedonia.
Assorted neurochemicals have been shown to cause depression and anhedonia. The reverse effect navacaprant can have on the system reduces these symptoms.
Neumora has begun phase 3 studies.
Psilocybin
Oh, those days when you took “shrooms” in college and went to the planetarium. Who would have thought that we’d still be discussing psilocybin in 50 years?
Psilocybin is a common word. has even been written about. Remember that notoriety may lead to misconceptions, such as psilocybin’s being declared effective and safe for treating depression.
I’m aware of a few people who are currently using it to treat a wide range of mental and emotional problems. Psilocybin, though registered with the FDA and being studied aggressively, is still under investigation.
Psilocybin occurs naturally in over 200 species of Basidiomycota mushroom. In clinical trials, either psilocybin from these mushrooms is used or a synthetic version.