FDA Approves Auvelity, a New Medication for Clinical Depression
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on August 19 approved dextromethorphan-bupropion, or Auvelity, a drug used to treat major depressive disorder, also known as clinical depression, in adults.It is the first drug to treat major depressive disorder that works within a week of taking it and is the first new pill to treat depression using a new mechanism of action in more than 60 years, according to the manufacturer, Axsome Therapeutics.What’s Different About This Depression DrugThere has long been a need for better and more effective drugs to treat depression, as nearly two-thirds of all people diagnosed with depression do not find relief from them, according to Axsome Therapeutics.In a double-blind phase 3 clinical trial, 163 patients taking Auvelity said their feelings of depression were significantly improved within a week of…