What You Need to Know About the Newest Antidepressants

In addition to therapy, medication can be an invaluable treatment for clinical depression. It may alleviate symptoms and literally save lives. Which is why having an array of medications to choose from is vital. Recently, in the U.S., three antidepressants were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat depression: vilazodone (Viibryd) in 2011; levomilnacipran (Fetzima) in 2013; and vortioxetine (Trintellix; formerly called Brintellix, but renamed to avoid confusion with the blood-thinning medication Brilinta) in 2013. In general, these medications are well-tolerated and effective. However, they’re no more effective than older antidepressants. But, again, having options is important. “[B]ecause individuals respond to antidepressants in ways that are often idiosyncratic with only about a third of patients remitting on the first antidepressant they try, it is positive to have a range of antidepressants to try,” said Jonathan E. Alpert, MD, PhD, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Montefiore Medical Center/Einstein College of Medicine. All three medications—vilazodone, levomilnacipran and vortioxetine—tend to be the second or third line of treatment, Dr. Alpert said. That’s because currently they’re not available in generic form, which means they’re expensive. Below, you’ll find a brief summary of each medication, its potential benefits and possible side effects, along with what the prescribing process may look...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Depression Disorders General Medications Antidepressants Clinical Depression Fetzima Levomilnacipran Major Depression Major Depressive Disorder newest antidepressants Trintellix Viibryd Vilazodone vortioxetine Source Type: news