Evaluation of Drug combination therapy in psychiatric animal disease models

Newsletter # 87


Depression: Combination therapy

Animal models

Combination therapy is a treatment modality that involves two or more drugs and is becoming an increasingly appealing strategy to improve disease management.
AXS-05 is a fixed dose combination of dextromethorphan and bupropion (45 mg / 105 mg) under development for the treatment of major depressive disorders. The combination significantly improved the disease symptoms in Phase 3 trial in major depressive disorder (1).

(1) https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04971291

To the best of our knowledge, in-vivo animal data about the effect of the combination of dextromethorphan and bupropion is not available yet. Based on AXS-05 dose conversion, NEUROFIT has tested the effect of different doses of dextromethorphan and bupropion combination (same ratio as for AXS-05) in the mouse marble burying paradigm , an animal model for depression


  • A clear dose-dependent effect was found at the dose range tested.

  • Combination therapy
  • The Marble Burying test is used to record the number of marbles buried by mice placed in a novel environment. Classes of drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) modify the burying behaviors of mice.
    In the graph shown, different doses of the combination dextromethorphan and bupropion produce a dose-dependent decrease in the number of buried marbles and thus provides a preclinical data about the in-vivo effect of the drug combination.

  • We look forward to hearing from you.


NEUROFIT offers a range of validated in vitro and in vivo screening tests for psychiatry and neurology.

If you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us, we will reply within few days. Custom protocol

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Evaluation of Drug combination therapy in psychiatric animal disease models

Newsletter # 87


Depression: Combination therapy

Animal models

Combination therapy is a treatment modality that involves two or more drugs and is becoming an increasingly appealing strategy to improve disease management.
AXS-05 is a fixed dose combination of dextromethorphan and bupropion (45 mg / 105 mg) under development for the treatment of major depressive disorders. The combination significantly improved the disease symptoms in Phase 3 trial in major depressive disorder (1).

(1) https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04971291

To the best of our knowledge, in-vivo animal data about the effect of the combination of dextromethorphan and bupropion is not available yet. Based on AXS-05 dose conversion, NEUROFIT has tested the effect of different doses of dextromethorphan and bupropion combination (same ratio as for AXS-05) in the mouse marble burying paradigm , an animal model for depression


  • A clear dose-dependent effect was found at the dose range tested.

  • Combination therapy
  • The Marble Burying test is used to record the number of marbles buried by mice placed in a novel environment. Classes of drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) modify the burying behaviors of mice.
    In the graph shown, different doses of the combination dextromethorphan and bupropion produce a dose-dependent decrease in the number of buried marbles and thus provides a preclinical data about the in-vivo effect of the drug combination.

  • We look forward to hearing from you.


NEUROFIT offers a range of validated in vitro and in vivo screening tests for psychiatry and neurology.

If you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us. Privacy Policy
On a regular basis we distribute newsletters with scientific information on our research services. If you wish to receive these, please sign up on our mailing list: