Vilazodone (VLZ)

Vilazodone is a serotonergic antidepressant developed by Clinical Data for the treatment of major depressive disorder. According to two eight-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in adults, vilazodone was reported to elicit an antidepressant response after one week of treatment. Vilazodone acts as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist. It has negligible affinity for other serotonin receptors such as 5-HT1D, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT2C. It also exhibits negligible inhibitory activity at the norepinephrine and dopamine transporters. Partial agonism of the 5-HT1A receptor is a relatively novel mechanism of action and is also shared by the anxiolytic buspirone (Buspar), the atypical antipsychotics aripiprazole (Abilify) and lurasidone (Latuda) ,and the novel antidepressant vortioxetine (Brintellix).