Saredutant for depression and anxiety
This is a tachykinin antagonist with a higher selectivity for NK2
receptor which was assumed to be effective from the preclinical
data.80 The results of a double-blind, randomized,
placebo- and fluoxetine-controlled multicentre Phase IIb clinical trial
performed with saredutant in patients which showed a good sustained
response in the treatment group compared to placebo.81The favourable safety and tolerability profile of saredutant was also
confirmed in the elderly (INDIGO study) as well as in long-term
treatment (MAGENTA study).83,84 But still the drug was
not found to affect the outcome significantly as compared to existing
standard of care and placebo. This was also tried for GAD but the
results were inconclusive and the drug was yet to show its impact to be
used clinically.