Vortioxetine: An antidepressant apart?

Antidepressants remain a mainstay of treatment to alleviate the heavy economic, societal and human tolls imposed by depression. Nevertheless, the high rates of treatment failure and poor adherence underscore the need for novel treatments. Vortioxetine is a new antidepressant that has a different pharmacological profile to conventional antidepressants and a long half-life that reduces the risk of discontinuation symptoms. Vortioxetine appears to be effective for major depression in adults. Emerging data suggest that vortioxetine may have cognitive benefits that are independent of antidepressant efficacy. Vortioxetine appears to be relatively well tolerated. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends vortioxetine for major depressive episodes in adults who responded inadequately to two antidepressants within the current episode. Further studies need to fully characterise and quantify vortioxetine's risks, benefits and place in the antidepressant armamentarium.