Prof. Celso Arango

El Dr. Celso Arango es un científico, médico y profesor de psiquiatría que ha desarrollado una importante labor de investigación neurobiológica de la etiología y tratamiento de trastornos del neurodesarrollo. Es Director del Instituto de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental del Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón y Jefe del Servicio de Psiquiatría del Niño y Adolescente del mismo hospital. Catedrático de Psiquiatría en varias universidades en EE. UU., Reino Unido y España, es Académico de número de la Real Academia Nacional de Medicina de España y Miembro de la Academia Nacional de Medicina de EE.UU, desde 2023. Es uno de los biocientíficos más citados según la Universidad de Stanford. Ha participado en más de 77 proyectos de investigación y ha publicado más de 700 artículos, 11 libros y 46 capítulos de libros. Ha formado a generaciones de investigadores en neurociencia y trastornos del neurodesarrollo.

• Miembro del European Brain Council (órgano asesor de la Comisión Europea).
• Cruz de la Orden Civil de Sanidad, mediante Encomienda y en categoría de Comendador, otorgado por Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo en 2008.
• Presidente de la European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) desde 2016 hasta 2020.
• Director curso internacional New Frontiers in Digital Health desde 2017.
• Presidente de la Sociedad Española de Psiquiatría (SEP), desde 2019 hasta junio de 2022.
• Presidente de la Sociedad Española de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental (SEPySM), desde enero de 2022 hasta junio de 2022.
• Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de la Especialidad de Psiquiatría del Ministerio de Sanidad, desde 2020 hasta 2023.
• Asesor de la EMA y la AEM.
• Miembro del Comité Ejecutivo de la World Psychiatric Association, desde diciembre 2020.
• Académico de Número de la Real Academia Nacional de Medicina de España, desde 2022.
• Miembro de la Comisión Nacional de Psiquiatría del Ministerio de Universidades, desde 2023.
• Premio Margarita Salas en la categoría de carrera científica. Noviembre 2023.

Psychopharmacological treatment is a key component of the multimodal approach to managing mental health conditions in children and adolescents. Despite significant advancements, there remain substantial unmet needs, alongside emerging opportunities and risks, in the pharmacological treatment of paediatric mental disorders. In this tall I will review the current landscape of paediatric psychopharmacology, highlighting existing evidence, future developments, and critical areas for innovation.

Many psychotropic drugs prescribed in paediatrics have been extrapolated from adult treatments, leading to gaps in knowledge regarding their long-term effects, optimal dosing, and developmental implications. The field is in urgent need of targeted, paediatric-specific research to improve safety and efficacy profiles.

Promising medications in development offer hope for addressing these gaps. Advances in neuroscience, genetics, and biomarker research pave the way for novel drug discovery, including precision medicine approaches tailored to individual biological and psychological profiles. However, challenges persist in translating these scientific breakthroughs into approved treatments, particularly due to regulatory and ethical complexities in conducting paediatric trials.

Additionally, innovations in clinical trial methodology are transforming the way research is conducted, reported, and disseminated. Adaptive trial designs, real-world evidence studies, and digital health technologies (such as wearable devices and remote monitoring) present new opportunities to enhance data collection and improve study feasibility. Increased collaboration between academia, industry, and regulatory agencies is essential to accelerate progress.

Moving forward, crucial priorities for the field include ensuring greater investment in paediatric psychopharmacology, fostering global research collaborations, and addressing disparities in access to evidence-based treatments. Balancing innovation with ethical responsibility will be key to advancing safe and effective pharmacological options for children and adolescents. By embracing these challenges and opportunities, the future of paediatric psychopharmacology holds promise for more personalized, effective, and accessible treatments that improve the mental health and well-being of young patients worldwide.

• Cortese S, Purper-Ouakil D, et al. (2024). Psychopharmacology in children and adolescents: unmet needs and opportunities. Lancet Psychiatry. 2024 Feb;11(2):143-154. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(23)00345-0.
• Persico AM, Asta L, Chehbani F, Mirabelli S, Parlatini V, Cortese S, Arango C, Vitiello B. (2024) The pediatric psychopharmacology of autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review - Part II: The future. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2025 Jan 10;136:111176. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111176.
• Cortese S, McGinn K, et al. (2023). The future of child and adolescent clinical psychopharmacology: A systematic review of phase 2, 3, or 4 randomized controlled trials of pharmacologic agents without regulatory approval or for unapproved indications. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2023 Jun;149:105149. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105149.
• Salazar de Pablo G, Pastor Jordá C, et al. (2023). Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: Efficacy of Pharmacological Interventions for Irritability and Emotional Dysregulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Predictors of Response. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2023 Feb;62(2):151-168. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2022.03.033.
• Arango C. (2015) Present and future of developmental neuropsychopharmacology. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2015 May;25(5):703-12. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.11.003.
• Persico AM, Arango C, Buitelaar JK, Correll CU, et al. (2015) European Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychopharmacology Network. Unmet needs in paediatric psychopharmacology: Present scenario and future perspectives. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2015 Oct;25(10):1513-31. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.06.009.