Lexapro will lose ground to amibegron in major depression

Forest Pharmaceuticals' Lexapro (escitalopram) will lose patient share to Sanofi-Aventis' amibegron for the treatment of major depression by 2010, says research and advisory group Decision Resources. Its new report, entitled Crowded with Generics, Clever Marketing Will Win Only Incremental Sales: A Major Depression Study, finds that the lack of sexual side effects with amibegron (because of its unique non-serotonergic mechanism of action) will allow it to significantly weaken Lexapro's grip on the major depression market.

Interviewed thought leaders identify as an advantage the fact that Lexapro is more tolerable than other SSRI and SNRI antidepressants and has a lower risk of drug interactions in patients receiving multiple medications.

"Although a high dose (150mg-375mg) of Wyeth's Effexor XR (venlafaxine) is considered by the majority of interviewed psychiatrists to be the most effective strategy in severe and treatment-resistant major depression, its tolerability disadvantages during treatment initiation and discontinuation preclude the drug from being the clinical gold standard therapy. If amibegron is as effective but more tolerable than Lexapro, it could represent a real threat to Lexapro's clinical gold-standard status," said Natalie Taylor, an analyst at Decision Resources.