聚焦抑郁症治疗药物_陈菁.pdf

PROGRESS IN PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES 2014,3388 11 :855-867 855 G L O B A L P H A R M A C E U T I C A L I N F O R M AT I O N   Spotlight on Drugs of Depression Thomson Reuters Depression presents a huge pharmaceutical market opportunity. There are approximately 350 million people worldwide with depression, and it is the leading cause of disability in the world. In the U.S., 9.1 percent of the population suffer from depression. Globally, fewer than half of depression sufferers receive treatment for their illness, and in some countries this fi gure falls to fewer than one in 10. The high incidence rate, combined with limited market penetration, makes depression a high potential market for pharmaceuticals. However, the companies developing drugs for depression also face a number of serious challenges. Psychosocial treatment options remain the preferred fi rst-line therapy ahead of medication— and when it comes to drug treatment, the abundance of generic options available has signifi cantly contributed to halving the value of the branded antidepressant market over recent years. Another hurdle faced by new drugs is the requirement that all antidepressants carry a black-box warning regarding the in