A drug commonly used for Parkinson’s disease, called pramipexole, has shown strong results in helping people with depression that hasn’t improved with standard treatments. This new finding comes from a major clinical trial led by researchers at the University of Oxford and published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
The study focused on people with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), which means they had already tried other antidepressants without success. These patients often struggle for years without finding anything that works.
In this study, 150 people with TRD took part. Half were given pramipexole and half received a placebo (a pill with no active drug), while continuing with their usual antidepressants. The treatment lasted nearly a full year—48 weeks.
The results were striking. People taking pramipexole felt noticeably better by week 12, and the improvements lasted throughout the entire year. Their depression symptoms became much less severe compared to those taking the placebo. These findings are particularly important because TRD is a serious condition with limited treatment options.
However, the drug also caused some side effects. About 1 in 5 people taking pramipexole had to stop because they experienced issues like nausea, dizziness, or trouble sleeping. Despite this, many people did benefit from the treatment.
Professor Michael Browning from Oxford, who led the study, explained why this matters. He said it’s hard to treat people who don’t respond to regular depression treatments. There has been an urgent need for new options. Pramipexole might offer real hope because it works in a different way.
Most antidepressants boost a brain chemical called serotonin, but pramipexole increases dopamine instead. Dopamine plays a role in motivation, reward, and energy—areas that are often deeply affected in depression.
Previous research had hinted that pramipexole might help people with depression, but there wasn’t enough data about how it worked over the long term or what side effects it might cause. This trial now provides strong evidence that it can be useful for people with TRD, though some may struggle with side effects.
Current treatments for TRD usually involve adding drugs like lithium or antipsychotics to standard antidepressants, but these options don’t work for everyone and can have their own risks. Pramipexole could offer a new path forward, especially for people who haven’t responded to these common options.
Phil Harvey, a 72-year-old participant in the trial from Oxfordshire, shared his experience. He had struggled with depression for 20 years and had tried many treatments with no success. After joining the trial in 2022, he noticed improvements within weeks. He said the drug helped pull him out of a deep, dark place and improved his motivation and mood.
Participants like Phil were recruited from mood disorder clinics around the UK that are part of the NIHR Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC) Mission. These clinics often operate remotely and are designed to assess and support people with difficult-to-treat mood disorders, offering them access to cutting-edge research.
In summary, the study found that pramipexole, a drug typically used for Parkinson’s disease, can significantly reduce depression symptoms in people who haven’t had success with other treatments.
The improvement appears to be linked to the drug’s action on dopamine, and the benefits were seen within three months and lasted for nearly a year. However, some people may experience side effects and stop the treatment.
This research is a big step forward for those living with long-term, hard-to-treat depression. More studies are needed to figure out how to reduce side effects, compare pramipexole to other treatments, and determine how cost-effective it is. But for now, the study gives new hope to patients and doctors looking for more effective options.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about how dairy foods may influence depression risk, and 6 foods you can eat to improve mental health.
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The research findings can be found in The Lancet Psychiatry.
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