Though less shocking than the prospect of electroconvulsive therapy, a new, recently FDA-approved antidepressant appears to have a significantly lower risk of sexual side effects. Sold under the brand name Viibryd and intended for major depression, vilazodone is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), plus it’s a dual mechanism medication that also affects the 5HT gene. In a 2009 Phase III clinical trial, the percentage of patients taking the drug had almost the same frequency of sexual side effects — such as erectile dysfunction or reduced orgasms — as those in the placebo-control group.
To ACSH's Dr. Josh Bloom, this is a big breakthrough in depression therapy. “Many SSRI antidepressants cause sexual side effects in up to 75 percent of patients — men and women. This drug appears to target different serotonin receptors, presumably the ones that don’t interfere with a patient’s sex life.”
Vilazodone: A sexier anti-depressant?
Though less shocking than the prospect of electroconvulsive therapy, a new, recently FDA-approved antidepressant appears to have a significantly lower risk of sexual side effects. Sold under the brand name Viibryd and intended for major depression, vilazodone is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), plus it’s a dual mechanism medication that also affects the 5HT gene.
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