Wyeth: Efexor may prevent depression for two years

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has said that its antidepressant venlafaxine extended release, marketed as Efexor XR in the UK, may prevent new episodes of depression in adult patients for up to two years.

A new study found that patients taking venlafaxine over two years are “significantly” more likely to remain free of new bouts of depression in comparison to those patients taking the placebo. It reported that 23.1 per cent of venlafaxine patients experienced some recurrent depression during the period, compared to 42 per cent using the placebo.

Wyeth said the effectiveness of the drug was “even more pronounced” in the second half of the study, where eight per cent of venlafaxine patients suffered a recurrence of depression, compared to 44.8 per cent using the placebo.

As a result, the company said that doctors who intend to use venlafaxine extended release over long periods of time may want to re-evaluate the uses of the drug for individual patients.

Philip Ninan, vice president of neuroscience at Wyeth, said: “Until about five years ago, antidepressant response was the standard for treatment. Today, remission is the goal.”

“These data may encourage physicians to raise their expectations of treatment to include long-term prevention of new episodes of depression,” he added.

Wyeth claims Efexor and Efexor XR are the world’s best selling antidepressants. It sold $945 million (502 million pounds) during the first quarter of 2006. Its US patent expires in 2008, while its EU patent ceases in 2017. One side effect of the drug is severe discontinuation syndrome – not because the drug is particularly addictive, but because of the changes in the brain’s chemistry following withdrawal.

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