Drug repurposing aims to find new therapeutic indications for existing drugs
in the market. Because the process of discovering a new pharmacological compound
with desired clinical effectiveness is challenging, drug repurposing is being
increasingly utilized in many areas. To address the unmet needs and limitations of
treating depressive disorders with available treatments, many pharmacological agents
are being investigated for antidepressant efficacy. For example, there have been some
promising results with repurposing agents targeting acetylcholinergic and
glutamatergic neurotransmission, as well as modulating immune system. Furthermore,
anti-glucocorticoid agents also suggested to have possible antidepressant activity. In
this chapter, we summarize the results from studies on the repurposing for treating
depression of various agents, and search for perspectives on treatment strategies for
depression beyond approved antidepressants.
Keywords: Acetylcholine, Antidepressant, Anti-inflammatory, Celecoxib,
Depression, Glutamate, Ketamine, Mecamylamine, Metyrapone, Mifepristone,
Repurposing, Scopolamine.
