Developing Benzodiazepines And Antidepressants - On The Horizon: Mental Health
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Developing benzodiazepines and antidepressants
The goal of new drug development is to find agents that are at least as effective as those available today, with fewer adverse effects. These medications would be especially welcome for older adults and others who have trouble tolerating the side effects of existing drugs.
Safer benzodiazepines are of particular interest because these medications work quickly and are quite effective. One strategy has been to create partial agonists, drugs that affect only those parts of the benzodiazepine-GABA receptors that bring about therapeutic benefit. Several partial benzodiazepine receptor agonists have been tested in clinical trials.
Other investigators are developing more selective SSRIs. Like the partial benzodiazepine receptor agonists, these agents would bind to some but not all serotonin receptors. At least 14 different serotonin receptors have been identified, and studies show that four of them play a role in controlling anxiety.
| Last updated: | September 05, 2008 |
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