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Remeron Found Superior To Fluoxetine In Early Depression Treatment LONDON, ENGLAND -- June 25, 1998 -- Remeron(R)(mirtazapine) Tablets are more effective than Prozac (fluoxetine) in the early weeks of depression treatment and are as effective as fluoxetine in the later stages of treatment, reported international researchers in this month's issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The study is the first to compare Remeron, a dual-action agent, to fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Patients taking Remeron showed greater improvement in their symptoms of depression in the third and fourth weeks of treatment than the patients taking fluoxetine during the same period. The Remeron study group showed Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) scores significantly lower (four points on average) than the fluoxetine group. The HAM-D scale is the global standard for measuring symptoms of depressed mood. A four point difference is the magnitude of effect most often seen when comparing an antidepressant to placebo. "In the Remeron group, patients felt better faster, which is crucial in depression treatment," said David Wheatley, M.D., of the Feighner Research Institute in London and chief study investigator. "If patients don't begin to feel better rapidly, they often just give up on antidepressant therapy." In the United States alone, 10 percent of adults, or more than 17 million people, suffer from major depressive illness every year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The World Health Organization estimates that by the year 2020 depression will be the single most burdensome illness in the world. The six-week, double-blind, multicentre randomised study involving 123 patients was conducted at eight centres in the United Kingdom, seven centres in Belgium and five centres in The Netherlands. Female and male patients between the ages of 18 and 75 were included. At study endpoint (six weeks), the mean daily doses were 39.8 mg in the Remeron group and 23.8 mg in the fluoxetine group. While SSRIs such as fluoxetine increase only serotonin, Remeron increases both norepinephrine and serotonin, the two neurotransmitters (message carriers to the brain) that are thought to be reduced during episodes of depression. "This study confirms what many psychiatrists have recognised while working with depressed patients in our practices -- that Remeron appears to act faster on depression," said Norman Sussman, M.D., clinical professor of psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine. More information on: Remeron E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version