PARIS--5 Sep--PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ InfoQuest
- Positive Correlation Established Between Valdoxan's Efficacy and Disease Severity
New data, presented today at the 24th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress, further highlight the distinctive profile of efficacy of Valdoxan(R) (agomelatine) in the treatment of anxiety in depressed patients when compared with other commonly prescribed antidepressants. Additionally, Valdoxan's anxiolytic efficacy was even stronger in depressed patients with severe anxiety symptoms.
Today's new data relates to an analysis of six large multicenter studies, each with a duration between 6 and 8 weeks, involving a total population of almost 2,000 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).
Among these, more than 900 patients were classified as severely anxious, defined by a score of at least 5 points on the anxiety subscale of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D).
Three of the six studies compared Valdoxan to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) sertraline and fluoxetine, and the serotonin noradrenalin reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine, while the other three studies compared Valdoxan to placebo.
"These new data are important, because anxiety within depression is common and associated with worse prognosis, increased disability and higher use of medication", explained Prof. Dan Stein, Professor and Chair of the Dept. of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. "This new evidence establishes the novel antidepressant agomelatine as a promising treatment option for the management of anxiety in patients suffering from depression."
In comparison to placebo, Valdoxan was found to significantly reduce anxiety scores on the HAM-D anxiety subscore as early as the second week (p