Minocycline as a new treatment for depression

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

This study aims to investigate minocycline as an adjunctive treatment for unipolar depression. Participants will receive 200 mg/day of minocycline or placebo for 12 weeks with improvements on the MADRS being the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include potential improvements in functioning, quality of life and clincial impressions. Based on previous studies, minocycline should be well-tolerated for the duration of the study, however safety monitoring will also be reported as a secondary outcome.

Walker AJ, Mohebbi M, Maes M, Berk M, Walder K, Bortolasci CC, Liu ZS, Ng CH, Ashton MM, Berk L, Singh AB, Malhi GS, Dean OM.

2022-12-24

10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100581

Minocycline as adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder: Pooled data from two randomized controlled trials

Robson Zazula, Muhammad Ishrat Husain, Mohammadreza Mohebbi, Adam J. Walker, Imran B. Chaudhry et al. (19 authors)

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry2020-10-2230 citations

10.1177/0004867420965697

Personality disorder and functioning in major depressive disorder: a nested study within a randomized controlled trial

Bianca E. Kavanagh, Lana J. Williams, Michael Berk, Alyna Turner, Henry J. Jackson et al. (15 authors)

Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry2019-05-1511 citations

10.1590/1516-4446-2018-0308

Adjunctive minocycline treatment for major depressive disorder: A proof of concept trial.

Dean OM, Kanchanatawan B, Ashton M, Mohebbi M, Ng CH, Maes M, Berk L, Sughondhabirom A, Tangwongchai S, Singh AB, McKenzie H, Smith DJ, Malhi GS, Dowling N, Berk M.

2017-06-0379 citations

10.1177/0004867417709357

Interventions

200 mg/day of oral (1 tablet bidaily) adjunctive minocycline will be trialled against placebo for 12 weeks to determine the efficacy of minocycline for the treatment of unipolar depression.

Study design

Allocation

Randomised controlled trial

Intervention model

Parallel

Primary purpose

Treatment

Masking

Blinded (masking used)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

No

Inclusion criteria

-Aged 18 or over -Capacity to consent to the study and to follow its instructions and procedures -Fulfil the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder, single episode or recurrent, as well as scoring 20 or over on the MADRS, at the baseline visit -Participants on antidepressant therapy need to have been on the same treatment for at least two weeks prior to randomisation -Utilising effective contraception (other than the contraceptive pill due to drug interactions) if female of child-bearing age and sexually active

Exclusion criteria

-Concurrent diagnosis of bipolar disorder I, II or NOS -Three or more failed adequate trials of antidepressant therapy for the current major depressive episode or ECT for the current major depressive episode -Known or suspected clinically unstable systemic medical disorder (including a pre-existing infectious illness requiring tetracycline antibiotic treatment) -Pregnancy or breastfeeding -Contraindications to tetracyclines, including allergy or other intolerance; prior tetracycline use within 2 months of baseline visit -Current treatment with >5 mg beta caretone or >300 micrograms retinol equivalent. -Current treatment with anticoagulants; -Current treatment with methoxyflurane -Current treatment with penicillin -Females of childbearing age currently relying solely on the contraceptive pill as contraception.

Outcome results