Could a Sugar-Lowering pill lift your mood?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Provide written informed consent, as approved by the NYU Institutional Research Ethic Board (IRB). * Patients ages 18-65; * Current/acute Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) diagnosis, per MINI psychiatric interview; * At least moderate severity of depression (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score of at least 20 at initial screen); Exclusion Criteria: * DSM-5 diagnosis of Bipolar disorders, Cyclothymia, Schizoaffective disorder, Schizophrenia; any psychotic disorder or affective psychosis; * Subjects that have had more than two failures of adequate anti-depressant trials in the current MDD episode; * Subjects on psychotropic medications other than SSRIs, NDRIs, SNRIs, or mirtazapine (occasional use of sleep agents, equivalent to lorazepam 1 mg or zolpidem 10 mg, will be allowed); * Those that have previously been on SGLT2 inhibitors; * A significant history of non-adherence to treatments; * History of neurologic / seizure disorder; * A significant history of non-adherence to treatments; * History of dementia/cognitive dysfunction (MOCA \< 22); * A primary diagnosis of a personality disorder, in the opinion of the screening clinician; * DSM-5 substance use disorder (drug/alcohol) active within the past 12 months, or positive urine toxicology at screening; * History of diabetic ketoacidosis; * History of recurrent genital mycotic infection; * GFR \<45; * HgA1c.\>8.0% * History of an allergic reaction to an SGLT2 inhibitor. * Pregnancy or lactation (women of reproductive age, ie \<50 years old, should be on licensed hormonal or barrier method contraception). * Any known pancreatic disease resulting in insulin deficiency (T1D, history of pancreatitis, pancreatic surgery); * History of liver or kidney disease; * Hypersensitivity to empagliflozin or any of the excipients in JARDIANCE.