Agomelatine versus escitalopram in major depressive disorders : a randomized double-blind, long term study focusing on sleep satisfaction and emotional blunting

The novel antidepressant agomelatine is a MT1/MT2 receptor agonist and a 5HT2c receptor antagonist, whose efficacy is demonstrated in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (1). In an international 24-week double-blind randomized controlled study, the effects of agomelatine 25–50 mg/d (n = 164) were compared to those of escitalopram 10-20 mg/d (n = 160) on satisfaction about sleep (Visual Analogic Scale), depressive symptoms (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D)) and emotions in a subset of 45 patients having completed the Oxford Depression Questionnaire (2). Both drugs improved depressive symptoms (mean decrease in HAM-D score from baseline: -19.9 with agomelatine and -19.2 with escitalopram; percentage of remitters: 69.6% with agomelatine and 63.1% with escitalopram, LOCF endpoint) and the satisfaction about sleep. Interestingly, the wellness feeling on waking was more improved with agomelatine as compared to escitalopram (p = 0.025), indicating a better alertness on waking with agomelatine than escitalopram. Moreover, emotional blunting was less frequent with agomelatine as compared to escitalopram: 28% on agomelatine vs 60% on escitalopram felt that their emotions lacked intensity with a trend to statistical significance (p = 0.063) and 16% of patients on agomelatine vs 53% on escitalopram felt that things that they cared about before illness did not seem important any more (p = 0.024). Finally, less patients withdrew due to emergent adverse events with agomelatine (4.3%) as compared to escitalopram (10.6%), (p = 0.029). To conclude, this study shows some potential clinical advantages of agomelatine as compared to escitalopram in the long term treatment of MDD.