Investigational and Experimental Drugs to Treat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Journal of Experimental Pharmacology January 1, 2021 Giacomo Grassi, Chiara Cecchelli, Luisa Vignozzi et al. 42 citations
Treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is common, and while antidopaminergic drugs are the first-choice augmentation strategy for serotonergic medications, they benefit only a subset of patients and lack official approval for OCD. Emerging evidence implicates glutamate and inflammation in OCD, prompting investigation of glutamatergic and anti-inflammatory agents, though results remain inconclusive. Probiotic interventions, which modulate the immune system and brain activity, are gaining attention but are still early in OCD research. Over one hundred interventional trials are ongoing worldwide, mostly involving neuromodulation and psychotherapy; only about 20% test new pharmacological approaches such as tolcapone, nabilone, psilocybin, troriluzole, nitrous oxide, rituximab, naproxen, and immunoglobulins. This review comprehensively examines investigational and experimental drugs for OCD.