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.
