Combining Medications to Enhance Depression Outcomes

The overall aim of Combining Medications to Enhance Depression Outcomes (CO-MED) is to enhance remission rates for outpatients with chronic or recurrent nonpsychotic major depressive disorder (MDD) as defined by DSM-IV TR, treated in primary or psychiatric care settings. Current evidence indicates that remission, the goal of treatment, is found in only about one-third of representative depressed outpatients treated for up to 14 weeks with an initial SSRI. In addition, even for those who do respond or remit, over one-third relapse in the subsequent 12 months. Combinations of antidepressants are used in practice at the second or subsequent steps when relapse occurs in the longer term, or, in some cases, even acutely as a first step when speed of effect is a clinical priority. Whether such combinations could potentially offer higher remission rates, lower attrition, or greater longer-term benefit if used as initial treatments as compared to monotherapy remains to be examined. CO-MED will test whether two different medications when given in combination as the first treatment step, compared to one medication, will enhance remission rates, increase speed of remission, be tolerable, and provide better sustained benefits in the longer term. Results of this study will inform practitioners in managing the treatment of patients with chronic or recurrent MDD.