Repurposing Over the Counter Cough Medicine as a Rapid Acting Antidepressant

Principal Investigator: Dr. Anupama Kumar and Michael Wang, ScM

Disease: Major Depressive Disorder

Research Description: Reports of depression and suicide have accelerated upward at unprecedented rates. Today, 41 million people are on antidepressants, a therapy with only a 33% success rate. Minimal insight into treatment-resistant depression exists, with few therapeutics outside of traditional treatment option

s. Recent research has shown success in treating depression with the anesthetic ketamine, which reactivates brain networks impaired by depression. Unfortunately, ketamine is impractical for addressing depression at large as it is highly intoxicating, government-restricted and requires intensive medical monitoring. Over-the-counter

 cough syrup has long been recognized to act both like ketamine and first-line antidepressants and might serve as a superior keta

mine alternative with 50 years of safe and widespread use. This 15 patient clinical trial will ascertain the safety and efficacy of the active ingredient in cough syrup, dextromethorphan (DXM), in treating major depressive disorder.

Funding Partners: The Kahlert Foundation

CWR funding role: Primary funder