( COPENHAGEN June 4 2007-A new study p...)Cipralex demonstrates superiority to duloxetine for acute treatment,of depression in new study,Health

COPENHAGEN, June 4, 2007-A new study published today in the journal Current Medical Research and Opinion showed that Cipralex® (escitalopram) was superior to Cymbalta® (duloxetine) in the acute treatment of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and was at least as efficacious in long-term treatment. The study directly compared Cipralex® (an allosteric serotonin reuptake inhibitor - ASRI) to duloxetine (a serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor - SNRI) and also demonstrated that Cipralex® was better tolerated, with fewer patients discontinuing treatment with Cipralex® due to adverse events compared to duloxetine.

Depression is a serious illness that results in significant disability and is associated with both increased morbidity and the risk of suicide. Affecting around 121 million people globally, the World Health Organization lists depression as the leading cause of disability worldwide.

"Cipralex® is an effective and well-tolerated drug for the treatment of depression and a wide range of anxiety disorders," said Senior Vice President Anders Gersel Pedersen, Head of Development at Lundbeck. "These new data provide further evidence of the strong efficacy and tolerability profile of Cipralex® compared to other antidepressants in the treatment of depression."

About the clinical study The study was designed to look at the efficacy and tolerability of Cipralex® compared to duloxetine in patients with moderate to severe MDD over 24 weeks, with a secondary endpoint at eight weeks (acute treatment).

The double-blind, fixed-dose, comparative study included 294 patients with MDD from 35 centres in nine countries. Patients were randomised to either Cipralex® (n=143) or duloxetine (n=151), at dosing regimens currently recommended in the package inserts in participating countries (Cipralex® 20mg, duloxetine 60mg).

Patients were evalu
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