Venlafaxine: new preparation. Just another antidepressant.

(1) Venlafaxine is a non tricyclic, non MAOI antidepressant which has been assessed mainly in placebo-controlled trials. Some of the available trials against other antidepressants are methodologically unsound. (2) Placebo-controlled trials have established the antidepressant efficacy of venlafaxine at a dose of 75-375 mg/day in ambulatory patients, and 350 mg/day in inpatients. (3) Two trials against fluoxetine and three against imipramine showed no difference in efficacy. (4) The adverse effect profile of venlafaxine is similar to that of serotonin reuptake inhibitors. At high doses (over 200 mg/day), venlafaxine can provoke arterial hypertension. Amphetamine-like behavioural effects cannot be ruled out.