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news.Results from a pooled analysis of two new parallel studies suggest that Eli Lilly's Symbyax significantly improved symptoms of treatment-resistant depression over a two-month period compared to other Lilly drugs, Prozac or Zyprexa.
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Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a condition in which some people with major depressive disorder (MDD) fail to sustain or achieve remission despite adequate antidepressant therapy. Conservative estimates indicate that between 10% and 20% of MDD patients continue experiencing symptoms despite multiple treatments.
Symbyax capsules contain active ingredients from both Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride) and Zyprexa (olanzapine). Pooled results of the two double-blind studies showed significantly greater Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS) improvement for Symbyax (-12.6) versus Prozac (-9.2) and Zyprexa (-8.9) alone.
In addition, 40% of Symbyax patients responded to therapy, as opposed to 30% of Prozac patients and 26% of Zyprexa patients.
Within three to four days, Symbyax patients began to show significantly greater symptom improvement compared to Prozac patients. At seven days, Symbyax also showed significantly greater symptom improvement compared to Zyprexa.
“Treatment-resistant depression is one of the greatest clinical challenges that psychiatrists face today, which is compounded by the fact that there is no FDA-approved medication for this illness,” said Dr Michael Thase, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.