The 24-week study investigated the efficacy and tolerability of Cipralex compared to duloxetine, which is marketed under the Cymbalta brand by US-based Eli Lilly. The research showed that Cipralex was at least as effective as duloxetine at 24 weeks of treatment, the primary endpoint of the study, Lundbeck said.
The study showed that patients taking Cipralex demonstrated significantly greater improvement in depression symptoms at week eight (acute treatment) than patients taking duloxetine. The superiority was evident after the first week of treatment and was maintained at all time points until week 16, the company reported.
In addition, Cipralex, which is sold in the US under the Lexapro brand, was better tolerated than duloxetine. Significantly more duloxetine patients withdrew from the study due to adverse events than those treated with Cipralex (17% versus 9%, respectively).
“The study demonstrates that Cipralex was superior to duloxetine during acute treatment and at least as effective in long-term treatment with the added benefit of significantly better tolerability,” said Dr Alan Wade, lead investigator and medical director of CPS Research, Glasgow, Scotland.
“Since current guidelines urge the long-term treatment of depression, it is vital that treatments offer the required efficacy coupled with acceptable tolerability,” concluded Dr Wade.
The new research has been published in the journal Current Medical Research and Opinion.