A comparative study of milnacipran and paroxetine in outpatients with major depression.

Background: Milnacipran is a dual-action antidepressant which inhibits both serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake with no affinity for any neurotransmitter receptor studied.

Methods: A 6-week double-blind multicentre study compared milnacipran (100 mg/day) with paroxetine (20 mg/day) in 300 outpatients with major depression. Efficacy was evaluated using HAMD17, MADRS and CGI for severity of illness and global improvement.