Some statistically significant differences between citalopram and other antidepressants for the acute phase treatment of major depression were found in terms of efficacy , tolerability and acceptability .
Citalopram was more efficacious than paroxetine and reboxetine and more acceptable than tricyclics , reboxetine and venlafaxine , however , it seemed to be less efficacious than escitalopram .
BACKGROUND Recent US and UK clinical practice guidelines recommend that second-generation antidepressants should be considered amongst the best first-line options when drug therapy is indicated for a depressive episode .
Systematic review s have already highlighted some differences in efficacy between second-generation antidepressants .
Citalopram , one of the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRI ) introduced in the market , is one of these antidepressant drugs that clinicians use for routine depression care .
OBJECTIVES To assess the evidence for the efficacy , acceptability and tolerability of citalopram in comparison with tricyclics , heterocyclics , other SSRIs and other conventional and non-conventional antidepressants in the acute-phase treatment of major depression .
Do equivalent doses of escitalopram and citalopram have similar efficacy? A pooled analysis of two positive placebo-controlled studies in major depressive disorder
Escitalopram is the S-enantiomer of citalopram . In this study , we compared the efficacy of equivalent dosages of escitalopram and citalopram in the treatment of moderate to severe major depressive disorder ( MDD ) , based on data from two , pooled , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled studies of escitalopram  in which citalopram was the active reference . The primary efficacy parameter was the mean change from baseline in the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale ( MADRS ) total score . Significant differences in favour of escitalopram were observed for the MADRS [ P<0.05 , observed cases (OC)/last observation carried forward ( LOCF ) ] and Clinical Global Improvement – Severity of Illness scores ( CGI-S ; P<0.05 , OC/LOCF ) . Escitalopram separated from placebo at week 1 on the primary efficacy parameter , whereas citalopram first separated from placebo at week 6 . An analysis of time to response showed that escitalopram-treated patients responded significantly faster to treatment than citalopram-treated patients ( P<0.01 ) . More patients responded to and achieved remission with escitalopram than to citalopram ( P<0.05 , OC ) . The HAMD scale was only used in the fixed-dose study , where escitalopram-treated patients had a significant reduction in HAMD-17 total score at week 8 compared to citalopram-treated patients ( P<0.05 , OC/LOCF ) . In the pooled sub population of severely ill patients ( MADRS≥30 )  , escitalopram-treated patients showed greater improvement than citalopram-treated patients ( P<0.05 , LOCF/OC ) . Escitalopram showed consistently superior efficacy compared to citalopram in the treatment of moderate to severe MDD on all efficacy parameters , and was similarly well tolerated
Some statistically significant differences between citalopram and other antidepressants for the acute phase treatment of major depression were found in terms of efficacy , tolerability and acceptability .
Citalopram was more efficacious than paroxetine and reboxetine and more acceptable than tricyclics , reboxetine and venlafaxine , however , it seemed to be less efficacious than escitalopram .
BACKGROUND Recent US and UK clinical practice guidelines recommend that second-generation antidepressants should be considered amongst the best first-line options when drug therapy is indicated for a depressive episode .
Systematic review s have already highlighted some differences in efficacy between second-generation antidepressants .
Citalopram , one of the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRI ) introduced in the market , is one of these antidepressant drugs that clinicians use for routine depression care .
OBJECTIVES To assess the evidence for the efficacy , acceptability and tolerability of citalopram in comparison with tricyclics , heterocyclics , other SSRIs and other conventional and non-conventional antidepressants in the acute-phase treatment of major depression .