Testing whether an anti-inflammatory drug can help people with depression

In a nationwide study led from Cambridge, researchers will be testing a new anti-inflammatory drug, specifically designed to reduce levels of inflammation in the brain. Patients with depression will be asked to take the new drug or a placebo (a pill that is inactive) in addition to their regular anti-depressant medication for 8 weeks.

Researchers will then measure whether the new anti-inflammatory drug reduces depressive symptoms by asking participants to complete questionnaires. They will also collect blood and saliva samples, and take images of the brain using MRI, to understand more precisely how the drug works on the immune system and the brain.

This study is currently running in Cambridge and will shortly also be open for recruitment in London, Oxford, Cardiff and Glasgow. It is due to finish in 2022.