Wyeth Pharmaceuticals provides update on desvenlafaxine strategy

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has provided an update on its worldwide strategy for its drug designed to treat major depressive disorder in adults – desvenlafaxine.

The company states the therapy has been approved for the treatment of the condition in adults in Australia, Brazil and the USA – with applications pending in a further 22 markets.

Desvenlafaxine is available in the latter under the name Pristiq.

It adds it has elected not to pursue its central European Marketing Authorisation Application at this time.

This decision is part of Wyeth’s global regulatory strategy and has been made following consultation with the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use from the European Medicines Agency.

Wyeth states it remains “committed” to making desvenlafaxine available to people suffering from major depressive disorder around the globe – including Europe.

Dr Gary L Stiles, executive vice-president and chief medical officer of the company, comments: “We are considering a number of options to support depressed patients and their families.

“There are millions of patients with depression and clearly more treatments are necessary.”

In recent days, Wyeth announced the jury in the case of Danny Crowder (individually and as administrator of the estate of Edna Faye Crowder) vs Wyeth had found in favour of the company.