Renowned drug companies, including UK-based GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, have announced that they do not intend to research new antidepressant drugs. A majority of senior scientists have warned that the decision will leave the families without hope along with a huge financial impact on society.

A report had exposed that medicines for brain disorders consume a long span of time, around 13 years, for development as compared to other health conditions and there is a high failure rate. Therefore, the companies are keen to leave the research field.

According to figures, more than a quarter of the European Union population suffers from one or more neurological disorders every year and imposes a huge burden on the health services as well as on economy as sufferers intent to stay away from work. David Nutt, a Neuroscientists and Professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London had expressed concern that it will affect the innovation of new treatments.

"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”, added Professor Nutt. "What we have forgotten, and must not forget, is if we stop this research we will have a dead space of 20 to 30 years before we can re-tool again”.