Just as the patent is about to run out for Prozac, we learn that this worldwide topselling antidepressant isn’t any more effective than its competitors, Paxil and Zoloft. These three popular antidepressants, all from the same drug class, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), were shown to be of similar effectiveness in a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, 12/19/01).
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Antidepressants can help reduce risk of repeat heart attacks and cardiac death, according to a study led by Stanford University researchers published Monday.

The findings suggest that patients who have already had a heart attack and suffer from depression should talk to their doctors about taking antidepressants to prevent another cardiac event.
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A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) for treating premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), the second SSRI and second drug approved for this indication.

* Recommended Dosage: 50 mg/day throughout the menstrual cycle or during the luteal phase. If necessary, dose may be increased at 50-mg increments per cycle, up to 150 mg/day when taken throughout the cycle or 100 mg/day when taken during the luteal phase.
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A Prozac price war is predicted by at least one generic drug maker. Approximately 30 current and tentative approvals for generic Prozac (fluoxetine) were entered on the Food and Drug Administration’s drug applications list as of early this month. One fluoxetine maker, Teva, said it expects a price war to ensue with Barr Laboratories and other generic makers of Prozac.
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IN THE BIBLICAL story, God tests his faithful servant Job to see whether Job will stay devoted to God even if God takes everything away from him. Now you don’t lose your family, health and possessions, as Job did, without falling into a terrible funk. It’s possible, then, to understand Job’s story as being about remaining true to God through a devastating depression. Suppose that Job had had a prescription for Prozac to help lessen his pain. Would it have been cheating to take a couple of tablets a day while God was tossing all manner of pestilence at him?
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Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA) and Wyeth (NYSE:WYE) today announced that they have reached agreement on the principal terms of a settlement of the U.S. patent infringement litigation pertaining to Teva’s generic version of Wyeth’s Effexor XR(R) antidepressant pending in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The parties are currently drafting definitive agreements and intend to submit the settlement agreements to the Federal Trade Commission (”FTC”). The terms of the settlement are confidential and are subject to a number of conditions, including review of the settlement by the FTC and the approval of the District Court.
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Greater efficacy results in lower utilization of healthcare services

Data presented here today shows that Effexor(R) (venlafaxine HCl) for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) was more effective - and less costly - than other commonly used antidepressants. Effexor is marketed by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, a division of American Home Products Corporation (NYSE: AHP).
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Biovail Corporation International today announced that Lundbeck’s Celexa has been approved for marketing by Health Canada’s Therapeutic Products Program (TPP) for the symptomatic relief of depression.

Biovail’s Canadian marketing division, Crystaal, will co-promote Celexa in collaboration with Lundbeck Canada Inc. Crystaal will promote Celexa to primary care physicians.
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If you’re suffering from depression, CELEXA may be able to help you. CELEXA is an antidepressant (mood elevator) from the family of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs. CELEXA is commonly used to treat depression, as well as other conditions as determined by a doctor.
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Secrecy agreements in litigation hide information about defective products or a company’s negligence, and sometimes go so far as to prohibit the parties from discussing that there ever was a lawsuit. Such is the case with Paxil and as a result, unwitting patients continued to take the drug long after its dangers were known to GlaxoSmithKline.
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