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Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) agonism for psychosis: a living systematic review and meta-analysis of human and non-human data

Siafis, Spyridon; Chiocchia, Virginia; Macleod, Malcolm R; Austin, Charlotte; Homiar, Ava; Tinsdeall, Francesca; Friedrich, Claire; ... Leucht, Stefan; + view all (2024) Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) agonism for psychosis: a living systematic review and meta-analysis of human and non-human data. Wellcome Open Research , 9 , Article 182. 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.21302.1. Green open access

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) agonism shows promise for treating psychosis, prompting us to synthesise data from human and non-human studies. METHODS: We co-produced a living systematic review of controlled studies examining TAAR1 agonists in individuals (with or without psychosis/schizophrenia) and relevant animal models. Two independent reviewers identified studies in multiple electronic databases (until 17.11.2023), extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Primary outcomes were standardised mean differences (SMD) for overall symptoms in human studies and hyperlocomotion in animal models. We also examined adverse events and neurotransmitter signalling. We synthesised data with random-effects meta-analyses. RESULTS: Nine randomised trials provided data for two TAAR1 agonists (ulotaront and ralmitaront), and 15 animal studies for 10 TAAR1 agonists. Ulotaront and ralmitaront demonstrated few differences compared to placebo in improving overall symptoms in adults with acute schizophrenia (N=4 studies, n=1291 participants; SMD=0.15, 95%CI: -0.05, 0.34), and ralmitaront was less efficacious than risperidone (N=1, n=156, SMD=-0.53, 95%CI: -0.86, -0.20). Large placebo response was observed in ulotaront phase-III trials. Limited evidence suggested a relatively benign side-effect profile for TAAR1 agonists, although nausea and sedation were common after a single dose of ulotaront. In animal studies, TAAR1 agonists improved hyperlocomotion compared to control (N=13 studies, k=41 experiments, SMD=1.01, 95%CI: 0.74, 1.27), but seemed less efficacious compared to dopamine D2 receptor antagonists (N=4, k=7, SMD=-0.62, 95%CI: -1.32, 0.08). Limited human and animal data indicated that TAAR1 agonists may regulate presynaptic dopaminergic signalling. CONCLUSIONS: TAAR1 agonists may be less efficacious than dopamine D2 receptor antagonists already licensed for schizophrenia. The results are preliminary due to the limited number of drugs examined, lack of longer-term data, publication bias, and assay sensitivity concerns in trials associated with large placebo response. Considering their unique mechanism of action, relatively benign side-effect profile and ongoing drug development, further research is warranted. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO-ID:CRD42023451628.

Type: Article
Title: Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) agonism for psychosis: a living systematic review and meta-analysis of human and non-human data
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.21302.1
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.21302.1
Language: English
Additional information: © 2024 Siafis S et al. This is an open access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Keywords: Antipsychotics, TAAR1, schizophrenia, clinical trials, preclinical studies, meta-analysis, systematic review, living evidence
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Clinical, Edu and Hlth Psychology
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10190929
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