Some Antidepressants Better Long‑Term

A new review of 115 randomized trials (>30,000 people) suggests escitalopram, duloxetine and agomelatine are more likely than fluoxetine to maintain symptom improvement and treatment retention over six months or more. However, many included trials had high risk of bias, so results indicate a possible but not definitive drug‑level difference in long‑term outcomes. — If confirmed, drug‑specific long‑term effectiveness would affect prescribing guidelines, patient counseling, and health‑system spending on maintenance therapy for depression.