Vascular Depression, also called late onset depression, is often associated with the presence of cerebrovascular disease which is distinct from early onset depression: It can be a consequence of ischemic damage to cortical brain regions.

Vascular Depression is marked by greater cognitive and functional impairment and carries an increased risk for dementia and death. It is inadequately treated by conventional antidepressants where fewer than 50% of late onset depressed patients respond to these conventional treatments. One issue with using antidepressants alone is that the underlying vascular changes remain untreated and the disease remains progressive.

A new treatment for late onset depression

ARX-111 employs a marketed drug with long history of human safety in diseases patients and the elderly. It has demonstrated clinical efficacy in a variety of patient populations. It is known to reduce the inflammatory burden in chronic disease states and to increase cerebral blood flow. It is effective in treating multi-infarct dementia and improves recovery of neurological function in patients post-stroke.

Its mechanism of action is to improve blood flow in the brain by reducing blood viscosity . It also reduces inflammation through the inhibition of TNFα production. It inhibits leukocyte adhesion / activation and platelet aggregation and it relaxes blood vessels through mild PDE inhibition.