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chemistry

Vortioxetine

Vortioxetine is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vortioxetine rather than just read about it. In short: Vortioxetine, sold under the brand names Trintellix (in the US) and Brintellix (in Europe) among others, is an antidepressant medication of the serotonin modulator and stimulator (SMS) class used in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Its effectiveness is viewed as similar to that of other antidepressants.

Vortioxetine — main illustration
Vortioxetine — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Vortioxetine belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Vortioxetine to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Vortioxetine from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Vortioxetine, sold under the brand names Trintellix (in the US) and Brintellix (in Europe) among others, is an antidepressant medication of the serotonin modulator and stimulator (SMS) class used in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Its effectiveness is viewed as similar to that of other antidepressants. It is taken orally. Common side effects include nausea, dry mouth, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting (3-6% of people), and sexual dysfunction. Serious side effects may include suicide in those under the age of 25, serotonin syndrome, bleeding, mania, and SIADH. A withdrawal syndrome may occur if the medication is abruptly stopped or the dose is decreased. Use during pregnancy and breastfeeding is not generally recommended. Vortioxetine's mechanism of action is not entirely understood, but is believed to be related to increasing serotonin levels and possibly interacting with certain serotonin receptors. It was approved for medical use in the United States and in the European Union in 2013. In 2020, it was the 243rd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.

Medical uses Vortioxetine is used as a treatment for major depressive disorder, with its effectiveness shown to be similar to other antidepressants and its effect size has been described as modest. Vortioxetine may be used when other treatments have failed. A 2017 Cochrane review on vortioxetine determined that its place in the treatment of severe depression is unclear due to low-quality evidence and that more studies comparing vortioxetine to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the typical first-line treatments, are needed. Vortioxetine appears to work in depressed patients with anxiety. Vortioxetine is also used off label for anxiety. A 2016 review found it was not useful in generalized anxiety disorder at 2.5, 5.0, and 10 mg doses (15 and 20 mg doses were not tested). A 2019 meta-analysis found that vortioxetine did not produce statistically significant results over placebo in the symptoms, quality of life, and remission rates of generalized anxiety disorder, but it was well-tolerated. However, a 2018 meta-analysis supported use and efficacy of vortioxetine for generalized anxiety disorder, though stated that more research was necessary to strengthen the evidence. A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that there was uncertainty about the effectiveness of vortioxetine for anxiety due to existing evidence being of very low-quality.

Contraindications Vortioxetine is contraindicated in those taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), due to the possibility of serotonin syndrome.

Adverse effects

The most common side effects reported with vortioxetine are nausea, vomiting, constipation, and sexual dysfunction, among others. With the exceptions of nausea and sexual dysfunction, these side effects were reported by less than or equal to 10% of study participants given vortioxetine. Significant percentages of placebo-treated participants also report these side effects. Discontinuation of treatment due to adverse effects in clinical trials was 8% with vortioxetine versus 3% with placebo. Sexual dysfunction, such as decreased libido, abnormal orgasm, delayed ejaculation, and erectile dysfunction, are well-known side effects of SSRIs and serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). In clinical trials, sexual dysfunction occurred more often with vortioxetine than with placebo and appeared to be dose-dependent. Incidence of treatment-emergent sexual dysfunction as measured with the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX) were 14 to 20% for placebo and 16 to 34% for vortioxetine over a dosage range of 5 to 20 mg/day. The incidence of sexual dysfunction with vortioxetine was similar to that with the SNRI duloxetine, which had an incidence of 26 to 28% at the used dosage of 60 mg/day. However, treatment-emergent sexual dysfunction caused by a prior SSRI was better improved by switching to vortioxetine than by switching to the SSRI escitalopram. In another study, vortioxetine at a dosage of 10 mg/day though not at 20 mg/day produced less sexual dysfunction than the SSRI paroxetine. These findings suggest that although vortioxetine can still cause sexual dysfunction itself, it may cause somewhat less sexual dysfunction than SSRIs and might be a useful alternative option for people experiencing sexual dysfunction with these medications. The rates of spontaneously reported sexual dysfunction are much lower than those obtained when researchers specifically ask subjects about sexual dysfunction (using the ASEX rating scale).

Based on preliminary clinical studies, vortioxetine may cause less emotional blunting than SSRIs and SNRIs. Vortioxetine used in combination with other serotonergic drugs such as MAOIs or SSRIs may result in serotonin syndrome.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Vortioxetine illustration
Vortioxetine illustration
Vortioxetine: Effectiveness of vortioxetine at 10, 15, and 20 mg/day versus placebo and duloxetine at 60 mg/day in the treatment of major depressive disorder in adults over 8 weeks (measured by improvement on the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale) in two randomized controlled trials.[35][36] Changes in MADRS total score from baseline at week 8 were –10.8 to –12.8 for placebo, –13.0 to –15.6 for vortioxetine, and –16.9 for duloxetine.[35][36]
Effectiveness of vortioxetine at 10, 15, and 20 mg/day versus placebo and duloxetine at 60 mg/day in the treatment of major depressive disorder in adults over 8 weeks (measured by improvement on the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale) in two randomized controlled trials.[35][36] Changes in MADRS total score from baseline at week 8 were –10.8 to –12.8 for placebo, –13.0 to –15.6 for vortioxetine, and –16.9 for duloxetine.[35][36]
Vortioxetine: Vortioxetine levels after a single 10 mg oral dose of vortioxetine in 18 fasted and 18 fed healthy Japanese adults.[50]
Vortioxetine levels after a single 10 mg oral dose of vortioxetine in 18 fasted and 18 fed healthy Japanese adults.[50]
Vortioxetine: Simulation of vortioxetine levels and accumulation with 10 mg/day oral vortioxetine plus a 17 mg intravenous bolus of vortioxetine versus 10 mg/day oral vortioxetine alone.[51]
Simulation of vortioxetine levels and accumulation with 10 mg/day oral vortioxetine plus a 17 mg intravenous bolus of vortioxetine versus 10 mg/day oral vortioxetine alone.[51]

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vortioxetine

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vortioxetine claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vortioxetine before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vortioxetine ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vortioxetine

In research
Vortioxetine appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Vortioxetine in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Vortioxetine is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1-Phenylpiperazines, 5-HT1A agonists, 5-HT1B agonists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Vortioxetine outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Vortioxetine in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Vortioxetine means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Vortioxetine out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vortioxetine in simple terms?

Vortioxetine, sold under the brand names Trintellix (in the US) and Brintellix (in Europe) among others, is an antidepressant medication of the serotonin modulator and stimulator (SMS) class used in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Its effectiveness is viewed as similar to that of other…

Why does Vortioxetine matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vortioxetine?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vortioxetine.

Tags

  • 1-Phenylpiperazines
  • 5-HT1A agonists
  • 5-HT1B agonists
  • 5-HT1D antagonists
  • 5-HT3 antagonists
  • 5-HT7 antagonists
  • Antidepressants
  • Anxiolytics
  • Drugs developed by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
  • Serotonin reuptake inhibitors
  • Thioethers
  • Xylyl compounds

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