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Vortioxetine: A review of the pharmacology and clinical profile of the novel antidepressant

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Abstract

The aim of this paper was to review the up-to-date evidence base on pharmacology and clinical properties of vortioxetine.

Vortioxetine is a novel antidepressant, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Because vortioxetine exhibits both an antidepressant and anxiolytic effect, it may be effective in treating both depressive and anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Based on its pharmacodynamics profile and preclinical studies, it is believe that the drug’s clinical action is mediated mainly by selective blockade of serotonin reuptake (by inhibiting the serotonin transporter [SERT]) and direct modulation of 5-HT receptors activity (such as 5-HT3, 5-HT7, 5-HT1D and 5-HT1B).

In patients with MDD the recommended doses range is 5–20 mg/day.

Vortioxetine was shown to be more effective than placebo both in MDD and GAD. In terms of side effects, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dry mouth were most commonly observed in individuals receiving vortioxetine. In direct comparison to duloxetine, vortioxetine is found to have a smaller efficacy but had a lower risk of developing the common antidepressant-induced adverse effects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, Laboratory of Trace Elements Neurobiology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland

    Magdalena Sowa-Kućma, Patrycja Pańczyszyn-Trzewik & Paulina Misztak

  2. Department of Pharmacobiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland

    Paulina Misztak

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Section of Affective Disorders, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland

    Rafał R. Jaeschke, Krzysztof Styczeń & Wojciech Datka

  4. School of Medicine in English, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland

    Katherine Sendek

  5. Department of Public Health and Health Promotion, Regional Sanitary-Epidemiological Station, Kraków, Poland

    Magdalena Koperny

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  1. Magdalena Sowa-Kućma
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  2. Patrycja Pańczyszyn-Trzewik
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Correspondence to Magdalena Sowa-Kućma.

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Sowa-Kućma, M., Pańczyszyn-Trzewik, P., Misztak, P. et al. Vortioxetine: A review of the pharmacology and clinical profile of the novel antidepressant. Pharmacol. Rep 69, 595–601 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharep.2017.01.030

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharep.2017.01.030

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