The Wall Street Journal (3/3, B5, Wang) reports that drugmaker Wyeth "received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its antidepressant Pristiq (desvenlafaxine)," which is "a 'refinement' of the company's hugely successful Effexor XR (venlafaxine), rather than a medication based on a new mechanism, said Geno Germano, Wyeth's president of U.S. pharmaceuticals." The drug "is the third antidepressant on the market in a class known as serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), along with Effexor and Eli Lilly's Cymbalta (duloxetine)."

        According to the New York Times (3/1, C3, Saul), Philip Ninan, M.D., a Wyeth vice president for neuroscience, said that "he thought that Pristiq, which is chemically similar to Effexor, would have similar benefits in treating major depression," as well as "distinct advantages over its existing product." Patients taking desvenlafaxine can start with "the therapeutic dose of 50 milligrams," instead of starting the antidepressant "at a low dose," and "then ramp up." Moreover, the drug "does not have to be broken down by the liver," Dr. Ninan said. Therefore, "it is not likely to interact with other medications metabolized" by that organ.

        The AP (3/1, Johnson) quoted Alan Gelenberg, M.D., the "head of the American Psychiatric Association panel that develops guidelines for treating depression," as saying that "he's seen no data that Pristiq or any other antidepressant is better or safer than any other" selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or SNRI. HealthDay (3/2) also covered the story in its Health Highlights section.