Clinical utility of venlafaxine in comparison with other antidepressants

The newer antidepressants have clearly shown themselves to be safer and to have a more acceptable side effect profile than the traditional antidepressants. Greater patient acceptability has important consequences in relation to efficacy, in that compliance is likely to be better in the long term. One of the newest antidepressants, the serotonin- noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine, has neurobiologic properties that recommend it for clinical use by both the psychiatrist and the general practitioner. Controlled studies have confirmed the overall utility of this agent in treating a range of depressive subtypes, such as moderate depression and severe endogenous depression, with a low risk of serious adverse events and an excellent tolerability profile. In addition, venlafaxine has shown a dose-response relationship for efficacy, offering the possibility of a wide dose range, which may be suitably employed in different clinical situations.