Guideline to the Three New Antidepressants
Abstract
Javeria Sahib Din and Ali Mahmood Khan
In the past six years, FDA has approved the three new Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) class of antidepressants i.e., vortioxetine, levomilnacipran and vilazodone. Extensive data is available on different aspects of their use. In this article, we will reason about the efficacy, adverse events reported and tolerability of these three antidepressants in the light of clinical trials conducted in the past 6 years.
Vortioxetine is an SNRI, proven to be well tolerated for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and for anxiety symptoms related to MDD as exhibited by clinical trials [1]. It has lesser sexual side effects and cognitive disturbance associated with its use[1]. Levomilnacipran is an SNRI to be used with caution in raised blood pressure, according to the available data; it can cause urinary obstruction in vulnerable population and requires dosage adjustment in renal dysfunction [2]. Similarly, vilazodone is a new SSRI with partial agonism at 5HT-1A receptors [3]. It has little effects on weight and lesser sexual side effects [4]. Each of these drugs can cause serotonin syndrome with a list of other drugs, as mentioned in this article in detail.