Depression often requires long-term treatment.
Yet many patients quit medication as soon as they feel better, prompting a relapse. It is for patients whose depression has stabilized and need maintenance therapy - not for the newly diagnosed. It's one that doesn't have a clear answer,'' said FDA medical reviewer Dr. Thomas Laughren. The FDA didn't require Lilly to prove weekly Prozac is equivalent to the daily version, just that it works compared to a placebo or dummy pill. Indeed, the FDA warned doctors to switch patients back to daily pills if they appear to decline on Prozac Weekly.