Calls grow louder for new medications beyond decades-old antidepressants and antipsychotics
The mental health sector is facing a crisis in treatment innovation, according to Marjorie Wallace, founder and CEO of SANE, a leading UK-based mental health charity. Wallace highlights that patients battling depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are still largely reliant on psychiatric medications developed in the 1950s and 60s—despite widespread side effects and limited efficacy for many individuals.
Key Challenges Identified:
- Lack of R&D investment: Major pharmaceutical companies have reduced focus on psychiatric drug discovery due to complex clinical trials and uncertain returns.
- Overmedication concern: Many patients are prescribed combinations of drugs without proper tracking of long-term effects.
- Ineffective outcomes: Some medications take weeks to work, and 30–50% of patients see minimal benefit.
Urgent Need for Breakthroughs
Wallace is calling for more clinical trials and public-private investment in next-generation therapies, including:
- Esketamine nasal sprays (for treatment-resistant depression)
- Cannabidiol (CBD)-based medications
- Precision psychiatry, using biomarkers and AI to personalize treatment
What’s Next?
Experts are urging regulators, pharma firms, and mental health foundations to collaborate on funding clinical innovation, expanding compassionate use programs, and reducing approval timelines for promising new drugs.
Source inspiration: Financial Times – Mental health patients stuck with outdated drugs, warns SANE CEO
