Cheap Antidepressant Could Help Treat Incurable Brain Tumors

Swiss scientists have discovered that a low-cost antidepressant may help treat glioblastoma, an aggressive and currently incurable brain tumor, Gabriela Galvin reported for Euronews.

Vortioxetine, sold under the brand name Brintellix in Europe, is produced by Danish drugmaker Lundbeck and is approved for treating major depression in the EU, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. I Photo: Steris Healthcare Pvt Ltd

Glioblastoma is notoriously difficult to treat because the blood-brain barrier — a filter between the central nervous system and the rest of the body — prevents many medications from reaching the tumor.

Researchers from the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) tested 132 drugs, including antidepressants, on glioblastoma tissue from patients who had recently undergone surgery.

They used computer modeling and studies on lab mice to test the drugs' efficacy. Of the medications tested, the antidepressant vortioxetine was the most effective, showing consistent results in 66.7% of the patients.

“Vortioxetine is advantageous because it is both safe and cost-effective,” said Dr. Michael Weller, co-author of the study and head of neurology at USZ.

Vortioxetine, sold under the brand name Brintellix in Europe, is produced by Danish drugmaker Lundbeck and is approved for treating major depression in the EU, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.