Anthony Bourdain, Spade suicides highlight need for new depression drugs

The suicides this week of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade have cast fresh light on the need for more effective treatments for major depression, an area that has been largely abandoned by big pharmaceutical companies.

The news shocked fans and came as U.S. health authorities reported a sharp spike in suicide rates across the country since the beginning of the century. They called for a comprehensive approach to addressing depression and other contributing factors.

With the availability of numerous cheap generic antidepressants, many of which offer only marginal benefit, developing medicines for depression is a tough sell.

Drugmakers have 140 therapies in development