Antidepressants 'not working'
Antidepressants 'not working'
ITN - 26.02.2008
Research suggests new-generation antidepressants are often no more effective than dummy pills.
A review has looked at four commonly-used antidepressants and the clinical trials submitted to gain licensing approval.
They included antidepressants regularly prescribed in the UK, including fluoxetine (Prozac), venlafaxine (Efexor) and paroxetine (Seroxat).
Researchers found that the drugs had no more effect than a placebo for mildly depressed patients, and for most people suffering severe depression.
They said even trials suggesting benefit for severely depressed people did not provide evidence of clear clinical benefit.
The pharmaceutical companies have argued their products are effective, and said that one study should not be used to cause unnecessary concern for patients.
The review was carried out by a group of experts, led by Professor Irving Kirsch, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Hull, who analysed 47 clinical trials using data released under Freedom of Information rules by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The researchers said their study was one of the most thorough investigations into the efficacy of new generation antidepressants, known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).
Professor Kirsch said: "The difference in improvement between patients taking placebos and patients taking antidepressants is not very great.
"This means that depressed people can improve without chemical treatments.
"Given these results, there seems little reason to prescribe antidepressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients, unless alternative treatments have failed to provide a benefit.
"This study raises serious issues that need to be addressed surrounding drug licensing and how drug trial data is reported."
A spokesman for Eli Lilly, which makes Prozac, said: "Extensive scientific and medical experience has demonstrated that fluoxetine is an effective antidepressant.
"Since its discovery in 1972, fluoxetine has become one of the world's most-studied medicines.
"More than 40 million people suffering from depression have been treated with fluoxetine in over 100 countries around the world."
A spokesman for GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Seroxat, said: "The authors have failed to acknowledge the very positive benefits these treatments have provided to patients and their families dealing with depression and their conclusions are at odds with what has been seen in actual clinical practice.
"It is widely recognised by experts in the field that studies in depression are challenging and very difficult to conduct.
"This one study should not be used to cause unnecessary alarm and concern for patients."
Figures from the charity Mind show that 31 million prescriptions were written for antidepressants in the UK in 2006.
Of these, 16.2 million were for SSRIs.
Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, said: "If these results were upheld in further studies, they would be very disturbing.
"If validated, this research would mean that psychological therapies would be the only available treatments for the majority of people, but these do not work for everyone, particularly those with severe clinical depression."
She added: "These results are focused on clinical effectiveness rather than health risks.
"It is important that people should not stop taking the anti-depressants immediately, as doing so could lead to severe rebound depression."
http://tinyurl.com/32rntj
ITN - 26.02.2008
Research suggests new-generation antidepressants are often no more effective than dummy pills.
A review has looked at four commonly-used antidepressants and the clinical trials submitted to gain licensing approval.
They included antidepressants regularly prescribed in the UK, including fluoxetine (Prozac), venlafaxine (Efexor) and paroxetine (Seroxat).
Researchers found that the drugs had no more effect than a placebo for mildly depressed patients, and for most people suffering severe depression.
They said even trials suggesting benefit for severely depressed people did not provide evidence of clear clinical benefit.
The pharmaceutical companies have argued their products are effective, and said that one study should not be used to cause unnecessary concern for patients.
The review was carried out by a group of experts, led by Professor Irving Kirsch, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Hull, who analysed 47 clinical trials using data released under Freedom of Information rules by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The researchers said their study was one of the most thorough investigations into the efficacy of new generation antidepressants, known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).
Professor Kirsch said: "The difference in improvement between patients taking placebos and patients taking antidepressants is not very great.
"This means that depressed people can improve without chemical treatments.
"Given these results, there seems little reason to prescribe antidepressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients, unless alternative treatments have failed to provide a benefit.
"This study raises serious issues that need to be addressed surrounding drug licensing and how drug trial data is reported."
A spokesman for Eli Lilly, which makes Prozac, said: "Extensive scientific and medical experience has demonstrated that fluoxetine is an effective antidepressant.
"Since its discovery in 1972, fluoxetine has become one of the world's most-studied medicines.
"More than 40 million people suffering from depression have been treated with fluoxetine in over 100 countries around the world."
A spokesman for GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Seroxat, said: "The authors have failed to acknowledge the very positive benefits these treatments have provided to patients and their families dealing with depression and their conclusions are at odds with what has been seen in actual clinical practice.
"It is widely recognised by experts in the field that studies in depression are challenging and very difficult to conduct.
"This one study should not be used to cause unnecessary alarm and concern for patients."
Figures from the charity Mind show that 31 million prescriptions were written for antidepressants in the UK in 2006.
Of these, 16.2 million were for SSRIs.
Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, said: "If these results were upheld in further studies, they would be very disturbing.
"If validated, this research would mean that psychological therapies would be the only available treatments for the majority of people, but these do not work for everyone, particularly those with severe clinical depression."
She added: "These results are focused on clinical effectiveness rather than health risks.
"It is important that people should not stop taking the anti-depressants immediately, as doing so could lead to severe rebound depression."
http://tinyurl.com/32rntj
bin66 - 27. Feb, 09:57
