No anti-depressant research ‘since the post war years’

ANTI-depressant research and development is at a standstill since the post-war years due to over-regulation and the pharmaceutical industry’s fear of risk-taking, according to a top psychiatrist.

Improvements in the effectiveness of anti-depressants have not been made since the 1950s when they were first brought into use. Then and now, most anti depressants only work on 70% of people.

Speaking at the Irish Psychiatric Association (IPA) annual general meeting, Professor Ted Dinan said that research needed to be carried out so more people could have relief from depression.

Up to 300,000 Irish people are believed to suffer from varying forms of the illness and up to 500 commit suicide each year, according to Aware, the depression support group.

Professor Dinan, who is the head of psychiatry in UCC, has urged the pharmaceutical industry, academia and research bodies such as the Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI) to pool resources in this area.

“Research into drugs for depression costs huge amounts of money and I believe that the breakthroughs necessary have not been made as senior executives won’t take the risk,” Professor Dinan told delegates.

“You can’t blame them. If they fail in their attempts, their market value drops. Instead, they concentrate on more easily achieved targets.”

“Another factor which has hindered this area is the absolutely enormous pharmaceutical research bureaucracy...now in place in the European Union and US. While it is important for public safety, it is stymieing innovation,” he said.