HAS the Prozac bubble finally burst? Such antidepressants seem to work no better than a placebo, except for the most severely depressed. So says a new study which backs up recent reports that the effectiveness of antidepressants may have been exaggerated.
Irving Kirsch of Hull University, UK, studied all data submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration for the licensing of the SSRIs fluoxetine, venlafaxine, nefazodone and paroxetine. 鈥淐ompared with placebo, [these] antidepressants do not produce clinically significant improvements in patients who initially have moderate or even very severe depression,鈥� he concludes (PloS Medicine, ).
However, David Nutt, head of psychopharmacology at Bristol University, UK, defends SSRIs, saying that if they provide some sort of placebo benefit, this should not be discounted.
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Eli Lilly, which makes Prozac, said that 鈥渆xtensive scientific and medical experience has demonstrated it is an effective antidepressant鈥�.
Anyone taking these drugs should consult their doctor before coming off them.
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