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Sampogna G, Caraci F, Carmassi C, Dell'Osso B, Ferrari S, Martinotti G, Sani G, Serafini G, Signorelli MS, Fiorillo A. Efficacy and tolerability of desvenlafaxine in the real-world treatment of patients with major depression: a narrative review and an expert opinion paper. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2023; 24:1511-1525. [PMID: 37450377 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2023.2237410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common severe mental disorder, requiring a tailored and integrated treatment. Several approaches are available including different classes of antidepressants various psychotherapeutic approaches, and psychosocial interventions. The treatment plan for each patient with MDD should be differentiated on the basis of several clinical, personal, and contextual factors. AREAS COVERED Desvenlafaxine - a serotonine-noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) antidepressant - has been approved in the United States in 2008 for the treatment of MDD in adults, and has been recently rediscovered by clinicians due to its good side-effect profile and its clinical effectiveness. A narrative review on efficacy, tolerability and use of desvenlafaxine in clinical practice was carried out. The keywords: 'major depression', 'depression,' 'desvenlafaxine,' 'efficacy,' 'clinical efficacy,' 'side effects', 'tolerability,' 'elderly patients', 'consultation-liaison', 'menopausal', 'young people', 'adolescent' were entered in PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus and Medline. No time limit was fixed, the search strategy was implemented on May 10, 2023. EXPERT OPINION Desvenlafaxine should be listed among the optimal treatment strategies for managing people with MDD, whose main strengths are: 1) ease of dosing; 2) favorable safety and tolerability profile, 3) absence of sexual dysfunctions, weight gain and low rate of discontinuation symptoms; 4) low risk of drug-drug interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Sampogna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Filippo Caraci
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Unit of Neuropharmacology and Translational Neurosciences, Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | | | - Bernardo Dell'Osso
- Neuroscience Research Center, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences and Aldo Ravelli Center for Neurotechnology and Brain Therapeutic, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
| | - Silvia Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Dipartimento Ad attività Integrata di Salute Mentale E Dipendenze Patologiche, Azienda USL-IRCCS Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Martinotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Gabriele Sani
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, and Maternal and Child Health, Psychiatry Section, University of Genoa, IRCCS, San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience Head, Neck and Thorax, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Salvina Signorelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, AOU Policlinico Hospital, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Andrea Fiorillo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
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Bansal R, Hellerstein DJ, Sawardekar S, Chen Y, Peterson BS. A randomized controlled trial of desvenlafaxine-induced structural brain changes in the treatment of persistent depressive disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2023; 331:111634. [PMID: 36996664 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2023.111634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
The anatomical changes that antidepressant medications induce in the brain and through which they exert their therapeutic effects remain largely unknown. We randomized 61 patients with Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) to receive either desvenlafaxine or placebo in a 12-week trial and acquired anatomical MRI scans in 42 of those patients at baseline before randomization and immediately at the end of the trial. We also acquired MRIs once in 39 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. We assessed whether the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, desvenlafaxine, differentially changed cortical thickness during the trial compared with placebo. Patients relative to controls at baseline had thinner cortices across the brain. Although baseline thickness was not associated with symptom severity, thicker baseline cortices predicted greater reduction in symptom severity in those treated with desvenlafaxine but not placebo. We did not detect significant treatment-by-time effects on cortical thickness. These findings suggest that baseline thickness may serve as predictive biomarkers for treatment response to desvenlafaxine. The absence of treatment-by-time effects may be attributable either to use of insufficient desvenlafaxine dosing, a lack of desvenlafaxine efficacy in treating PDD, or the short trial duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Bansal
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - David J Hellerstein
- Depression Evaluation Service, Division of Clinical Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Siddhant Sawardekar
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Ying Chen
- Depression Evaluation Service, Division of Clinical Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Bradley S Peterson
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 90033, USA
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Norman TR, Olver JS. Desvenlafaxine in the treatment of major depression: an updated overview. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2021; 22:1087-1097. [PMID: 33706624 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2021.1900826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) remains one of the most prevalent mental health conditions. It is a chronic, relapsing condition and despite multiple treatment options, many patients fail to achieve remission of symptoms. Inadequacy of treatment has stimulated the search for agents with significant therapeutic advantages.Areas covered: This review examines literature concerning the use of desvenlafaxine in the treatment of MDD published since a previous analysis in this journal in 2014. Published papers were identified via a PubMed and Web of Science search and excluded congress presentations. Results from clinical trials in MDD, systematic reviews, and post hoc analyses in patient subgroups, are reviewed.Expert opinion: Desvenlafaxine was an effective antidepressant with favorable safety and tolerability in adults. Efficacy was demonstrated in the subgroup of peri- and post-menopausal women with MDD but not in children and adolescents. There is a relatively low potential for drug-drug interactions due to its metabolic profile. Hepatic impairment does not significantly alter dose requirements, whereas severe renal disease requires some adjustments of dose. Desvenlafaxine maybe suitable in patients with comorbid physical illnesses. Desvenlafaxine can be a first line consideration for the treatment of cases of MDD uncomplicated by medical comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor R Norman
- Department of Psychiatry, Austin Hospital, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria, AUSTRALIA
| | - James S Olver
- Department of Psychiatry, Austin Hospital, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria, AUSTRALIA
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Wang Y, Bernanke J, Peterson BS, McGrath P, Stewart J, Chen Y, Lee S, Wall M, Bastidas V, Hong S, Rutherford BR, Hellerstein DJ, Posner J. The association between antidepressant treatment and brain connectivity in two double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials: a treatment mechanism study. Lancet Psychiatry 2019; 6:667-674. [PMID: 31248841 PMCID: PMC6937159 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(19)30179-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antidepressant medications offer an effective treatment for depression, yet nearly 50% of patients either do not respond or have side-effects rendering them unable to continue the course of treatment. Mechanistic studies might help advance the pharmacology of depression by identifying pathways through which treatments exert their effects. Toward this goal, we aimed to identify the effects of antidepressant treatment on neural connectivity, the relationship with symptom improvement, and to test whether these effects were reproducible across two studies. METHODS We completed two double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of SNRI antidepressant medications with MRI scans obtained before and after treatment. One was a 10-week trial of duloxetine (30-120 mg daily; mean 92·1 mg/day [SD 30·00]) and the other was a 12-week trial of desvenlafaxine (50-100 mg daily; 93·6 mg/day [16·47]). Participants consisted of adults with persistent depressive disorder. Adjusting for sex and age, we examined the effect of treatment on whole-brain functional connectivity. We also examined correlations between change in functional connectivity and improvement in symptoms of depression (24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) and pain symptom severity (Symptom Checklist-90-Revised). FINDINGS Participants were enrolled between Jan 26, 2006, and Nov 22, 2011, for the duloxetine RCT and Aug 5, 2012, and Jan 28, 2016, for the desvenlafaxine RCT. Before and after treatment MRI scans were collected in 32 participants for the duloxetine RCT and 34 participants for the desvenlafaxine RCT. In both studies, antidepressants decreased functional connectivity compared with placebo (duloxetine study: β=-0·06; 95% CI -0·08 to -0·03; p<0·0001, ηp2=0·44; desvenlafaxine study: -0·06, -0·09 to -0·03; p<0·0001, ηp2=0·35) within a thalamo-cortico-periaqueductal network that has previously been associated with the experience of pain. Within the active drug groups, reductions in functional connectivity within this network correlated with improvements in depressive symptom severity in both studies (duloxetine study: r=0·38, 95% CI 0·01-0·65; p=0·0426; desvenlafaxine study: 0·44, 0·10-0·69; p=0·0138) and pain symptoms in the desvenlafaxine study (0·39, 0·04 to 0·65; p=0·0299). INTERPRETATION The findings suggest the thalamo-cortico-periaqueductal network associated with the experience of pain is a new and potentially important target for novel antidepressant therapeutics. FUNDING National Mental Health Institute, Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, and the Edwin S Webster Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wang
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joel Bernanke
- Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bradley S Peterson
- Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Institute for the Developing Mind, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Patrick McGrath
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Stewart
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ying Chen
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Seonjoo Lee
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Melanie Wall
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vanessa Bastidas
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susie Hong
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bret R Rutherford
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David J Hellerstein
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Posner
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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Carta MG, Paribello P, Nardi AE, Preti A. Current pharmacotherapeutic approaches for dysthymic disorder and persistent depressive disorder. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2019; 20:1743-1754. [DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2019.1637419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Giovanni Carta
- Department of Health Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Pasquale Paribello
- Department of Health Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Antonio Egidio Nardi
- Medical School - Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro National Academy of Medicine, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Antonio Preti
- Department of Health Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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