CITALOPRAM VERSUS FLUOXETINE - A DOUBLE-BLIND, CONTROLLED, MULTICENTER, PHASE-III TRIAL IN PATIENTS WITH UNIPOLAR MAJOR DEPRESSION TREATED IN GENERAL-PRACTICE

Two Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), citalopram and fl uoxetine, both at a daily dose of 20 mg, were compared in patients wit h unipolar major depression treated in general practice. This was a mu lticentre, double-blind, randomized trial carried out in France. The d uration of treatment was 8 weeks. Patients were assessed by means of t he Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the 17 items Ham ilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and the investigator's Clinical. Global Impressions (CGI). Observed and spontaneously reported adverse events were also recorded. A total of 357 patients of both sexes, aged between 21 and 73 years, entered the double-blind phase of the trial. A clear reduction of both the MADRS and the HAMD mean total scores wa s observed in both treatment groups with no statistically significant differences between treatments. Apart from back pain recorded more fre quently in the citalopram group, no significant difference was found b etween the two treatment groups with regard to adverse events, and bot h citalopram and fluoxetine were considered to be well tolerated. It w as concluded that citalopram was as effective as fluoxetine in the tre atment of unipolar major depression. Citalopram showed an earlier onse t of recovery than fluoxetine.