Development of drugs for mental illness has come to a near halt in Europe in spite of the massive extent of the problem, experts warned today.
Treatment options currently are "imperfect" but there is little prospect of new ones emerging, the conference of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology was told.
The conference was set to hear the findings of a summit of experts held in March this year.
The college says that depression, dementia and addiction are responsible for more than a third of the burden of disease in Europe – costing the region at least 386 billion Euros a year.
It says treatments have long development times – an average of 13 years – and face growing obstacles to getting licences.
Just one new antidepressant, agomelatine, has been licensed in Europe in the last ten years, the experts say.
Companies face massive risks with drugs often failing late in the development cycle and the risk of litigation if adverse effects emerge after licensing.
Summit organiser Professor David Nutt said: "Despite the public health imperative, not only has EU research funding remained very low, but – even worse – big pharma is increasingly coming to see research into better neuropsychiatric drug targets as economically non-viable.
"With Europe’s extraordinary tradition in neuroscience innovation relying so heavily on private-sector investment, the consequences for the region’s research base and public health agenda are of major concern.”
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