Wyeth sees promising data from trial of depression drug

New Jersey, USA-based Wyeth Pharmaceuticals says that data from a trial of its drug venlafaxine showed that the compound helped prevent new episodes of depression for periods of up to two-years. The results, which are derived from the two year Prevention of Recurrent Episodes of Depression with Venlafaxine XR (PREVENT) study, were presented at the recent meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, in Toronto, Canada.

The assessment, which was a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled examination of the drug's efficacy, showed that, after one year, patients receiving the compound were significantly more likely to remain recurrence-free than those taking placebo, the probability of a period of depression for each group being 23.1% and 42.0%, respectively. Following a further year of treatment, the difference was more pronounced, with the likelihood of a depression in the treated group falling to 8%. The firm said that the results may provide new treatment options for those suffering recurrent episodes of depression.