Depression eased quickly with experimental drug: Works in brain like Ketamine, with fewer side effects, study suggests

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. The experimental agent, called AZD6765, acts through the brain's glutamate chemical messenger system. The findings serve as a proof of concept that targeting this system holds promise for development of a new generation of rapid antidepressants with fewer side effects than ketamine.

URL: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/depression/~3/q7e1tNK8sDw/121212205736.htm