Nearly 140 new medicines for mental health are currently in the research pipeline

A new report issued yesterday by the industry group PhRMA found that nearly 140 new medicines for mental health conditions are currently being developed by companies. There are 40 drugs being developed for depression, which the report notes affects more than 7% of adults and nearly twice as many adolescents ages 12-17 in the U.S. Almost as many drugs are in development for schizophrenia, which affects less than 1% of U.S. adults. Drugs for these two conditions are also the farthest along in development, along with drugs for ADHD and anxiety disorders. In contrast, although 27 drugs are currently being developed to treat substance abuse disorders, most of the candidates are still in Phase 1 studies.