Organon's Remeron Is "Better Than Prozac"

At the 9th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress, held in the Netherlands this month, Organon released results of a head-to-head trial between its antidepressant Remeron (mirtazapine), and Eli Lilly's Prozac (fluoxetine).

The study, the first double-blind multi-center trial to compare the two antidepressants, involved 120 patients and was carried out in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. Results showed that, at weeks three and four, patients who were treated with Remeron were significantly less depressed than those given the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, Prozac, according to the Hamilton-D score of depression.

Remeron combines alpha2-receptor antagonism with stimulation of noradrenaline and serotonin release and blockade of two serotonin receptors (5-HT2 and 5-HT3). According to the company, it is this unique profile that gives it its efficacy and is also responsible for the low incidence of adverse reactions associated with the drug.