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Novel Therapeutics in Bipolar Disorder

  • Bipolar and Other Mood Disorders (B Goldstein and D Hafeman, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Opinion statement

Recent findings

Existing pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder have demonstrated insufficient efficacy, delayed onset of action, and significant side effects. Emerging evidence suggest that rapid antidepressant activity can be achieved in humans, and findings from the use of glutamatergic and anticholinergic drugs, for instance, reveal promising results.

Purpose of review

In the present article, we review evidence supporting the use of novel therapies in bipolar disorder, with focus on drugs acting in the glutamatergic system. In addition, anticholinergic drugs, melatonergic agonists, glucocorticoid modulators, and mechanistically diverse anti-inflammatory agents will be briefly discussed.

Summary

While preliminary findings on novel therapies for bipolar disorder are encouraging, current evidence is still insufficient to support extensive use of these drugs routinely. Long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy remain unclear; several clinical trials are underway and may add clarity to these questions. Early detection and prompt intervention have the potential to decelerate illness progression and lessen the burden associated with bipolar disorder; thus, novel therapies with rapid and sustained clinical benefits are urgent.

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References and Recommended Reading

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance: Compelling evidence from clinical trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

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  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Road, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Sabrina C. da Costa M.D., Rodrigo Machado-Vieira M.D., Ph.D. & Jair C. Soares M.D., Ph.D.

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  1. Sabrina C. da Costa M.D.
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  2. Rodrigo Machado-Vieira M.D., Ph.D.
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  3. Jair C. Soares M.D., Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Sabrina C. da Costa M.D..

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Sabrina C. da Costa, Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, and Jair C. Soares declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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This article is a review paper. Although it alludes to clinical and preclinical work, it does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors in this section.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Bipolar and Other Mood Disorders

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da Costa, S.C., Machado-Vieira, R. & Soares, J.C. Novel Therapeutics in Bipolar Disorder. Curr Treat Options Psych 5, 162–181 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40501-018-0140-6

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