INTRODUCTION: Bipolar Depression remains an unresolved challenge for psychiatric therapeutics. It is associated with significant disability and mortality, and represents a major proportion of  follow-up time spent in morbid states despite use of available treatments. Evidence regarding effectiveness of standard treatments, particularly antidepressants, remains limited and inconsistent. Vortioxetine is a novel antidepressant, acting as a multimodal serotoninergic agent with good tolerability. Data on the safety of vortioxetine for treatment of Bipolar Depression is still lacking. The objective of the study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety profile of vortioxetine in patients with Bipolar Depression.
 METHODS: It is an observational, retrospective study. Data collection was performed after the introduction of vortioxetine as an adjunctive treatment in depressive patients with Bipolar Disorder (BD) I and II (DSM-V criteria), followed at external consultation. Sociodemographic data, medical history, and clinical and psychometric variables were collected.
 RESULTS:The sample includes 3 men and 4 women with a mean age of 51’7 years old. Four (4) patients were diagnosed with BD I and 3 patients with BD II.
The introduction of vortioxetine led to a clinical improvement with a mean reduction in Hamilton Depression Scale of 12,86 points. The prescribed doses ranged between 10 and 25 mg with a mean length of treatment of 13,57 months.
Only 2 patients presented mild side effects.
 CONCLUSIONS: The use of vortioxetine in patients with BD I and II has meant a clinical improvement, with a favourable profile of tolerability. More studies are needed to evaluate effectiveness and safety of this antidepressant.

VORTIOXETINE FOR BIPOLAR DEPRESSION, EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY. A CLINICAL EXPERIENCE FROM A SERIE OF CASES