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NEW YORK — Forest Laboratories Inc. has rolled out Fetzima extended-release capsules, a medication for major depressive disorder (MDD), to U.S. pharmacies.
Forest said Thursday that Fetzima ((levomilnacipran), a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), is indicated for the treatment of MDD in adults. The recommended therapeutic dosage range for is 40 mg to 120 mg once daily and can be taken with or without food.
Fetzima was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in July 2013.
"We are pleased to announce that Fetzima is now available to patients," stated Marco Taglietti, executive vice president of drug development and research and chief medical officer for Forest. "Despite the number of available antidepressant medications, the treatment of depression remains a clinical challenge with a need for additional treatment options. In clinical studies, patients who received Fetzima versus placebo experienced meaningful improvement in their depressive symptoms and functional impairment.
"The availability of Fetzima is a significant step forward in our goal of bringing a range of treatment options to adults living with MDD," Taglietti added.
Known as depression, MDD affects nearly 16 million U.S. adults annually. The debilitating disorder interferes with a person’s ability to work, sleep, study, eat,and enjoy once-pleasurable activities and costs the nation an estimated $83 billion each year. MDD is a leading cause of disability in the United States, and the World Health Organization predicts that depression will become the second-leading cause of disability by 2020.
