SSRI failure does not predict response to other drugs

摘要

Intolerance or failure to respond to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor(SSRI)does not predict a lack of efficacy or intolerance to other antidepressants,including other SSRIs,according to two papers published in The New England Journal of Medicine this week(2006;354:1231 and 1243).The papers analyse data from the STAR*D(sequenced treatment alternatives to relieve depression)trial,which looked at two strategies for the treatment of patients with non-psychotic major depressive disorder who did not achieve remission despite treatment with citalopram.The two strategies involved either switching to another antidepressant or augmenting the initial anti-depressant therapy with another medicine.