A McGill University study has found that a new class of drugs known as serotonin4 (5-HT4) receptor agonists may take effect four to seven times faster than traditional selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The study, led by former McGill post-doctoral fellow in psychiatry Guillaume Lucas with his supervisor, the late Dr. Guy Debonnel, was published in the September 6 issue of the journal Neuron.
Existing SSRI-class drugs, widely prescribed as anti-depressants, can take up to six weeks to become effective, with potentially serious clinical consequences. Dr. Lucas, now an associate researcher at the Centre de Recherche Fernand Séguin of Université de Montréal, said, "These delays are not only a matter of patient comfort, it's really important, especially when you are treating major depressions that could lead to suicide."
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