Depression

Description

People diagnosed with major depression experience a combination of symptoms which interfere with their ability to work, study, sleep, eat and enjoy once pleasurable experiences. The prevalence of depression also rises in conjunction with the onset of age-related illnesses such as heart disease.

Scope

Depression accounts for 12% of all disability with 10% of the population suffering from this affliction. Depression is one of the largest medicine markets in the world: well over $ 20 billion in drug sales revenue a year. Unfortunately, many of the antidepressants on the market today, which are mostly serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, have varying degrees of poor efficacy with terrible side-effects.

Clera approach

Clera's lead antidepressant compound has a unique mechanism of action centered on dopamine and not serotonin. It is currently in a Phase IIa 86 patient double blind, placebo-controlled human efficacy trial, taking place at the Toronto General Hospital, Canada's leading research hospital. This Phase IIa human trial is expected to be completed in 2012.