Single Day of Ultra-accelerated TMS With a Single Dose of NRX-101

Current therapeutic approaches for depression are limited in efficacy and accessibility. For many patients, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has provided relief from treatment-resistant depression; however, invetigators are still far from maximizing the benefits of TMS. Here, investigators combine state-of-the-art interventions proven in depression (D-cycloserine (DCS), lurasidone (LRD), rapid intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS)) with the aim of inducing and capitalizing on brain plasticity to support the alleviation of depressive symptoms. The rationale for pharmacologically augmenting TMS is that 100 mg/day DCS with repetitive TMS, as proposed here, has been demonstrated to enhance remission and response rates in patients with depression in two weeks, with no serious adverse events reported in this trial of 50 patients. Importantly, previous studies examining DCS efficacy as an adjunct to antidepressant regimens also found no adverse events and a trend-level improvement of depression severity, and another evaluating safety for treatment of TB in patients with and without depression found an overall decrease in depression severity over treatment course. Combining DCS with LRD (NRX-101) should enhance these effects because it will modulate activity of both NMDA and 5-HT7 receptors in a manner that should reduce depressive symptoms. Indeed, Phase 2 clinical trial data showed clinical superiority of NRX-101 over LRD only for treating bipolar disorder, with no serious adverse events in 22 completers. For transparency, investigators note here that while depression is listed as a contraindication when DCS is used to treat tuberculosis, the label reflects risks associated with DCS doses approximately 20 times higher than those used for modulation of neuroplasticity. Higher doses of DCS produce opposite (antagonistic) effects of the NMDA receptor relative to lower doses (agonistic), and dose-dependent side effects such as depression present at the highest doses (Lexicomp). investigators plan to use small doses of DCS that, when paired with TMS, have been shown to reduced depressive symptoms with minimal side effects.