MHLW Alerts About Adverse Effects Of Antidepressants Including GSK’s Paxil
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare May 8 alerted physicians and patients on possible adverse effects of antidepressants. The drugs mentioned by the ministry include Paxil (paroxetine), Luvox/Depromel (fluvoxamine), Toledomin (milnacipran) and Zoloft (sertraline). The Ministry received 268 reports of aggressive behavior after taking the drugs, and actual damage occurred in 35 cases. A casual relation cannot be denied in four cases, according to MHLW. GlaxoSmithKline's Paxil accounts for half of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors marketed in Japan, and since it was launched in 2000, roughly 1 million patients have taken the drug in Japan. The Japan Society of Mood Disorders has established a committee to raise public attention on the appropriate use of antidepressants. (Click here for more - Japanese language