Fluoxetine vs. clomipramine in depressed patients: a controlled multicentre trial.

A sample of 120 patients, all of whom met DSM-III criteria for major unipolar depressive disorder, were randomly allocated to two treatment groups. Sixty patients were treated with fluoxetine and 60 with clomipramine during a 6-week period. No significant difference was found in antidepressant efficacy, with improvement occurring on both drugs. Important differences were found in the side-effects profile of each group, their incidence being significantly lower and tending to disappear during the course of treatment in the group of patients treated with fluoxetine.