Findling RL, Groark J, Chiles D, Ramaker S, Yang L, Tourian KA. Safety and tolerability of desvenlafaxine in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder.
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2014;
24:201-9. [PMID:
24611442 PMCID:
PMC4026302 DOI:
10.1089/cap.2012.0126]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess long-term safety and tolerability of desvenlafaxine (administered as desvenlafaxine succinate) in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD).
METHODS
An 8 week, multicenter, open-label, fixed-dose study of children (ages 7-11 years) and adolescents (ages 12-17 years) with MDD was followed by a 6 month, flexible-dose extension study. Patients were administered desvenlafaxine 10-100 mg/day (children) or 25-200 mg/day (adolescents) for a total of 8 months. Treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs), withdrawals because of AEs, laboratory tests, vital signs, and the Columbia Suicide-Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) were collected. Eight month safety results from the lead-in plus extension studies are reported for extension study participants, using lead-in study day -1 as baseline.
RESULTS
Forty patients were enrolled in both studies (20 children; 20 adolescents). Of those, four children and three adolescents withdrew because of AEs. Treatment-emergent AEs reported by three or more patients were upper abdominal pain (15%) and headache (15%) in children, and somnolence (30%), nausea (20%), upper abdominal pain (15%), and headache (15%) in adolescents. Negativism (oppositional behavior) in a child was the single serious AE reported. No deaths occurred during the lead-in or extension studies. Mean pulse rates demonstrated statistically significant increases from lead-in study baseline to final evaluation (children, +5.2 bpm; adolescents, +5.9 bpm; p≤0.05). No statistically significant change in blood pressure was observed at final evaluation. Two adolescents (0 children) reported suicidal ideation on the C-SSRS at screening assessment and during the lead-in and/or extension trials; one adolescent reported suicidal ideation after screening only.
CONCLUSIONS
Long-term (8 month) treatment with desvenlafaxine was generally safe and well tolerated in depressed children and adolescents.
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