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Study Tests Arthritis Drug for Hard-to-Treat Depression
A small clinical trial examined whether tocilizumab, an anti-inflammatory drug used for rheumatoid arthritis, could reduce symptoms in patients who have not responded to standard antidepressants. The University of Bristol study involved 30 participants and found greater improvements among those who received the drug compared with placebo.
May 21, 7:21 AM·1m read1 source
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Researchers at the University of Bristol tested an existing rheumatoid arthritis drug as a potential treatment for patients whose depression has not improved with conventional antidepressants. The trial enrolled 30 people with moderate-to-severe depression.
Half received tocilizumab, which blocks the inflammatory protein interleukin-6, while the other half received a placebo. Participants who received tocilizumab showed greater reductions in depressive symptoms, fatigue, and anxiety over time than those who received the placebo.
Standard antidepressant medications target brain chemicals including serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Roughly one in three people with depression do not respond to these treatments. Prior research has found that about one-third of people with depression show elevated inflammatory markers in their blood, including higher levels of interleukin-6.
Senior author Professor Golam Khandakar said the trial is one of the first randomized controlled studies to test immunotherapy for depression and the first to target the IL-6 receptor in selected patients. Lead author Dr Eimear Foley said the results move researchers closer to matching treatments to individual biology.
The researchers stated that a larger phase III trial will be required before doctors can consider prescribing the drug for depression.
