Trazodone Once a Day in Major Depression Disorder

This randomized, venlafaxine-controlled, double-blind, parallel design study consists of a Pre-Treatment Phase (screening, wash-out) and a double-blind Treatment Phase (randomization to trazodone OAD or to venlafaxine XR, treatment for 8 weeks and tapering for 1 to 3 weeks). During the Pre-Treatment Phase, patients who sign an informed consent form will undergo initial screening. Potential candidates will be instructed to discontinue antidepressants or prohibited medications (wash-out) for a period specific to taper schedule (based on 5 elimination half-lives of the used medication). On the last day of the Pre-Treatment Phase, patients will be evaluated for the final eligibility, and those qualified will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 proportion to trazodone OAD 300 mg/day (1 week of tapering with trazodone OAD 150 mg/day) or to venlafaxine XR 75 mg/day once daily. After 3 and 5 weeks of treatment, subjects will be evaluated for the response. For non responding patients dose increases (in increments of 75 mg/day) will be done till to reach the maximum of 225 mg/day for venlafaxine XR and 450 mg/day for trazodone OAD. Patients non responding to treatment at the final visit will have their study medication tapered from 1 to 3 weeks, according to the maximum dose reached during the study. In order to prevent relapse of depression symptoms, responders at the final visit may continue the treatment. In this case, an unblinded third party Dispenser will open the treatment code and will prescribe the same medication taken by the patients during the trial, according to the formulation available on the market.