PH10 (drug)

PH10 is a vomeropherine that is under development by Pherin Pharmaceuticals as a nasal spray for the treatment of major depressive disorder. In a small phase II clinical study, PH10 demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects, taking effect by 1 week (the first scheduled assessment; future studies will check to see if the antidepressant effects onset even sooner). In addition, the effect sizes were found to be quite large (Cohen’s d value of 1.01 for high-dose PH10 and placebo, and Cohen’s d value of 0.71 for low-dose PH10 versus placebo). 60–80% of patients achieved remission from depression. PH10 was well-tolerated, with adverse effects including somnolence, nasal irritation, and headache.