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).

A team of researchers led by Kurt Kroenke, MD, of the Regenstrief Institute for Health Care in Indianapolis, made a point of recruiting study participants treated by their primary care physicians, as this is the most common route to an antidepressant prescription. The 573 depressed adult participants were randomly assigned to receive Prozac, Paxil, or Zoloft for nine months.

All of the participants were interviewed initially and then, at three-, six-, and nine-month intervals. Two-thirds of them recovered during the nine-month study period and only 20% of the participants switched drugs one or more times. The three drugs were not only equal in ameliorating depression, but they were also similar in terms of adverse effects and risks.

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