Unformatted text preview: ion Fluoxetine is superior to
placebo, irrespective of the analytical
approach use, whereas the results
obtained v. TCAs depend on the approach
used.Hence, the results should be
interpreted in this light.
Declaration of interest P.Bech is
Head of a World Health Organization
Collaborating Centre for psychometrics.
J.P.Boissel,P.Cialdella,M.C.Haugh, and A.
Hours were financed by APRET, a nonprofit research organisation, for this
project.M. A.Birkett and G.D.Tollefson
are employed by Eli Lilly and Company. Previously published meta-analyses of
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
(SSRIs) v. tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
or placebo (Anderson & Tomenson, 1994;
Greenberg et al, 1994; Anderson, 1998)
were based on published data only and
did not analyse data for all randomised
patients (the intention-to-treat approach)
since these were not available in the
published reports. The only previous
meta-analysis with this approach was reported by Bech & Cialdella (1992). In the
present analysis we used the Eli Lilly and
Company (Lilly) fluoxetine database and
included patients from published and unpublished randomised clinical short-term
trials of fluoxetine. A protocol described
our objectives, inclusion and exclusion
criteria for trials, and the analyses to be
performed. We used different analytical
approaches for completers and noncompleters. Our objectives were to obtain
quantitative estimates of the fluoxetine
treatment effect compared with: (a) placebo;
(b) TCAs; and (c) to analyse the reasons for
early discontinuation from treatment. MATERIAL AND METHOD
Types and sources of data
In keeping with our original protocol all
randomised clinical trials completed and
analysed up to the end of December 1992
(the Lilly fluoxetine database) that satisfied
the selection criteria were included. After
this date, no pertinent trials comparing
fluoxetine with placebo or TCAs were
added to the database. We analysed the
trials performed in the USA (USA trials)
separately from those performed elsewhere
(Canada and Europe; non-USA trials) because the psychiatric methods and clinical
trial procedures were sufficiently different
in the USA compared with elsewhere, and
this could be a source of heterogeneity
between the trials (Ansseau, 1992). I...
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- Summer '12
- Panavalil
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, Clinical trial, Antidepressant, Tricyclic antidepressant, Fluoxetine
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