Researchers conducted a phase 2a trial to test a new medication called JNJ-42165279. The study involved 153 adults aged 18 to 64 who had major depressive disorder. Many of these participants had anxious distress and had not responded well to standard antidepressants like SSRIs or SNRIs. They took the new drug or a placebo alongside their existing treatment for six weeks.
The main results showed that the new drug did not significantly reduce depression symptoms compared to the placebo. Scores on the standard depression rating scale did not change more with the new drug than with the inactive pill. Secondary measures also did not show additional benefit.
Scientists did observe that the drug increased levels of certain fatty acids in the blood and that these levels were linked to the drug itself. No new safety concerns were reported, and the drug appeared safe for this group. However, because this was a small early trial, the results are uncertain and do not yet support using this drug in practice.