Chapter 27 - Unmet Medical Needs in the Treatment of Depression and the Clinical Development of a Differentiated Antidepressant: A Translational Line of Evidence

Abstract

Cognitive dysfunction represents a primary unmet medical need in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Recently, a new antidepressant drug, vortioxetine, was introduced in the clinic that shows a differentiated mechanism of action compared with established antidepressants and exhibits efficacy in the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with MDD. This chapter presents the line of evidence based on translational drug discovery and development approaches in support of vortioxetine's distinct effect on cognitive function in MDD.