Effexor Superior To Prozac?

In patients hospitalized with major depression and melancholia, Wyeth-Ayerst's Effexor (venalfaxine) was superior in action to Eli Lilly's Prozac (fluoxetine), according to a study published in the journal International Clinical Psychopharmacology.

Results of the multicenter study, carried out in France and Belgium, showed that significant decreases from baseline in the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale (MADRS) and the Hamilton Psychiatric Rating Scale (HAM-D) occurred in both treatment groups. However, the mean decreases were greater for the Effexor-treated group than for the Prozac arm at most time points. The total scores for both the MADRS and HAM-D scales were significantly lower in the Effexor group at both four and six weeks.

The researchers noted that a similar pattern of results was also seen on the Clinical Global Impressions Scale and in physician severity ratings. In addition, say the authors, fewer Effexor-treated patients withdrew from the study for any reason, although the safety profiles of the two therapies were similar.