[Vortioxetine: a new antidepressant to treat depressive episodes]

Vortioxetine is a new antidepressant, which mechanism of action is multimodal, targeting the 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT1D, 5-HT3, 5-HT7 receptors and the serotonin transporter (5-HTT). Its efficacy and safety were assessed in fourteen studies including more than 3700 patients with a major depressive episode and treated with vortioxetine. In short-term studies (8 weeks), vortioxetine is more efficacious than placebo in decreasing depressive symptoms as measured by the MADRS total score, response rate (vortioxetine: 53.2% vs placebo: 35.2%) and remission rate (vortioxetine: 29.2% vs placebo: 19.3%). In a long-term study (52 weeks), vortioxetine is also superior to placebo in preventing relapses and recurrences. Moreover, in second line treatment, after failure of a first line selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or serotonin norepinephrin reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), vortioxetine is superior to agomelatine in improving depressive symptoms and achieving response and remission. Furthermore, the positive effects of vortioxetine on improvement of cognitive symptoms of major depressive episodes are particularly well established in several clinical trials. The tolerability profile of vortioxetine is favourable. The recommended daily posology of vortioxetine is 10mg/d. Vortioxetine is a new antidepressant drug with a multimodal mechanism of action, well-documented efficacy and safety profiles.