Side Effects Main Difference Between Newer Antidepressants
Many second-generation antidepressants, despite differences in drug classification and cost, offer patients essentially the same benefits with little variation in risks, researchers have found. Comparative evidence on anti-depressant drugs indicates only minimal differences in efficacy, although some come with an increased risk of certain side effects.
A recent review of 46 randomized, controlled trials on the efficacy and safety of newer anti-depressants in the treatment of major depressive disorder found few differences in efficacy between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, bupropion, duloxetine, mirtazapine, and venlafaxine.
The article indicates that:
According to fair to good evidence, the second-generation antidepressants that were compared had only minimal differences in efficacy, and 88% of comparative efficacy studies reported no statistically significant difference in any outcome measure at the end of the study. One effectiveness trial rated good and 2 effectiveness trials rated fair reported no statistically significant differences in primary outcome measures for compared drugs. Meta-analyses showed a modest but statistically significant additional treatment effect for sertraline and venlafaxine compared with fluoxetine. About 96% of comparative trials were sponsored by or had at least 1 author affiliated with a pharmaceutical company; the remaining trials did not report funding sources. Adverse event profiles differed among drugs; however, the degree and quality of adverse event assessment varied and only 13% of trials used a standardized scale to assess adverse events.
The researchers conclude that overall, second-generation antidepressants do not differ substantially for treatment of major depressive disorder.
Other articles by Dr Greg Mulhauser, Managing Editor
This article was last reviewed by on Tuesday, 20th September 2005.
The URL of this page is:
http://counsellingresource.com/features/2005/09/20/anti-depressant-efficacy/
