In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two new antidepressants, brexanolone and esketamine. There’s also been renewed interest in agomelatine, an antidepressant not currently available in the United States.

On March 5, 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first new medication for major depression in decades. The drug is a nasal spray called esketamine, derived from ketamine—an anesthetic that has made waves for its surprising antidepressant effect.

In August 2022 the FDA approved a drug called Auvelity which may offer faster relief for depression symptoms than other commonly used drugs. The medication is from the company Axsome, and is a combination drug that can be taken orally at home.