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Extended release quetiapine fumarate in major depressive disorder: analysis in patients with anxious depression
Depression and Anxiety, 07/03/2012
Clinical Article
Thase ME et al. – Quetiapine fumarate monotherapy improved symptoms of depression in patients with higher and lower levels of anxiety.
Methods- Secondary analyses were conducted of pooled individual patient data from two 8-week (6-week randomized phase, 2-week drug discontinuation phase), double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of quetiapine XR (50–300 mg/day).
- Outcomes included change from randomization at Week 6 in Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score for patients with anxious and nonanxious depression.
- Of 968 patients included in the analysis, 788 (81.4%) were classified as anxious depressed (defined as HAM-D anxiety/somatization factor score ≥ 7) and 180 (18.6%) were nonanxious.
- For patients with anxious depression and nonanxious depression, statistically significant differences versus placebo in MADRS total score were recorded for quetiapine XR 150 mg/day (-3.24, P < .001 and -4.82, P < .01, respectively) and 300 mg/day (-3.57, P < .001 and -3.39, P < .05, respectively) at Week 6.
- In the second analysis using an alternate definition of anxious depression (baseline HAM-A total score ≥ 20), quetiapine XR 150 and 300 mg/day resulted in significant differences versus placebo in MADRS total score reduction in patients with high and lower levels of anxiety.
- The adverse event (AE) profile was similar irrespective of baseline anxiety levels, although patients with anxious depression reported a somewhat greater incidence of AEs.