Forest Laboratories, Inc. Announces FDA Approval of Lexapro(R) for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in A...( NEW YORK March 20 2009 /- Forest Labo...),Health

NEW YORK, March 20, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Forest Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: FRX) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Company's supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate) for the acute and maintenance treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in adolescents, 12 - 17 years of age. Lexapro is only the second antidepressant to be approved for the treatment of MDD in adolescents, a medical condition that affects approximately 2 million adolescents in the U.S.

(LOGO: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001011/FORESTLOGO)

"Major depressive disorder in adolescents is a debilitating, but treatable illness," said Howard Solomon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, of Forest. "We have long believed that Lexapro would be of benefit for the treatment of depression in adolescents and that is why we undertook the several studies described in the package insert. We are enormously gratified that Lexapro will be available for depressed adolescents who so much require the benefits which Lexapro has made available for depressed adults for the past seven years."

Study Results

The approval of Lexapro for the treatment of adolescent depression was supported by two placebo-controlled studies, one conducted in adolescent patients taking Lexapro and one conducted in children and adolescents taking citalopram. In an 8-week flexible- dose, placebo-controlled study that compared Lexapro 10-20 mg/day to placebo in 12 to 17 year old patients reported in 2008, Lexapro showed statistically significant greater mean improvement from baseline, compared to placebo, on the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R).

In another 8-we
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