Vortioxetine for the treatment of major depressive disorder

Abstract

Vortioxetine (Brintellix^®, 1-[2-(2,4-dimethylphenyl-sulfanyl)-phenyl]-piperazine) is a multimodal antidepressant targeting the 5-HT_1A, 5-HT_1B, 5-HT_1D, 5-HT₃, 5-HT₇ receptors and the serotonin (5-HT) transporter (5-HTT). Vortioxetine administration induces antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects, and can enhance cognitive performance in rodents. Several clinical trials have reported the efficiency and a satisfactory tolerability of vortioxetine treatment in depressed patients. Remarkably, vortioxetine has a specific positive impact on cognitive symptoms in depressed patients. Overall, vortioxetine is an efficacious antidepressant drug for the treatment of patients with a major depressive episode and has a unique mechanism of action offering a new therapeutic option.

Keywords::

• cognition
• major depressive disorder
• multimodal antidepressant
• review
• vortioxetine

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Sanchez C (Lundbeck Research USA, Inc.) for helpful discussions and critical reading of the manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

JP Guilloux participated in preclinical studies with funding from Lundbeck. E Corruble, AM Gardier and D Felice currently receive research support from Lundbeck. DJ David currently receives investigator-initiated research support from Lundbeck and served as a consultant in the areas of target identification and validation and new compound development to Lundbeck. Finally, we are grateful to Sanchez C (Lundbeck Research USA, Inc.) for helpful discussions and critical reading of the manuscript. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Vortioxetine a multimodal antidepressant targeting the 5-HT_1A, 5-HT_1B, 5-HT_1D, 5-HT₃, 5-HT₇ receptors and the serotonin transporter (5-HTT).

• A total of 14 preclinical and 22 clinical reports indexed in PubMed have been published concerning vortioxetine.

• Vortioxetine administration induces antidepressant-like effects in rodents.

• Vortioxetine administration induces anxiolytic-like effects in rodents.

• Vortioxetine administration enhances cognitive performances in rodents and in humans.

• Treatment with vortioxetine was well tolerated in non-elderly and elderly patients with a major depressive episode.

• Incidence of sexual dysfunction is reportedly higher in patients taking vortioxetine than in patients taking placebo, but lower than in patients taking other antidepressants.

• The most common adverse effects include nausea and vomiting.

Notes