Servier's Valdoxan superior to Prozac for severe depression in adults

France's leading independent drugmaker Servier's Valdoxan (agomelatine), the first in a new generation of antidepressants for over a decade, has been shown to be more effective )than one of the most widely prescribed antidepressants of all time, fluoxetine (Prozac from Eli Lilly). An international study, including UK centers, showed that agomelatine had superior efficacy compared to fluoxetine in people with major depressive disorder (MDD). Data from the randomized, double-blind, parallel group comparative study were presented at the European Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), held in Istanbul, Turkey.

This builds on previous data showing that in the first week of treatment, agomelatine works in twice as many people compared to venlafaxine (Wyeth's Efexor) and that agomelatine is not associated with debilitating side effects that may be seen with other commonly-prescribed antidepressants such as weight gain, sexual dysfunction, sleep difficulties and discontinuation symptoms.

'These results, showing better efficacy over Prozac, add to the growing wealth of evidence supporting agomelatine as a new and important alternative for the treatment of depression,' said leading trial investigator Professor Tony Hale, Head of Division of Psychiatry, University of Kent, UK. 'Despite the wide range of currently-available antidepressants, there are still unmet needs in the management of depression. With its innovative mode of action, rapid response rate and fewer side effects, agomelatine represents a viable new option for people with this common and disabling mental health disorder,' he added