One of the world’s largest drug makers is testing whether an anti-inflammatory drug can help people with depression. Photo: APSTOCK

One of the world’s largest drug makers is testing a radical new approach to treating depression — by dialling down inflammation in the body, rather than tinkering with chemicals in the brain.

If it works, it’s likely to be expensive, have serious side effects, and help only a subset of patients. But it could also open the door to a whole new field of drug development for other psychiatric conditions, including bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia, all of which might be propelled, at least in part, by excess immune activity in the brain.

– Asher Mullard

Source: Could tamping down inflammation lift the fog of depression?