A meta-analysis of factors impacting detection of antidepressant efficacy in clinical trials: the importance of academic sites.

ABSTRACT: Variability in placebo response greatly complicates the design, conduct, and interpretation of clinical trials of antidepressant medications. To identify factors that impact detection of antidepressant-placebo differences, we conducted a meta-analysis of all relevant phase II-IV clinical trials for major depressive disorder conducted by the manufacturer of venlafaxine and desvenlafaxine completed by March 2011. We examined 15 factors potentially relevant to trial outcomes, using the standardized mean difference on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D₁₇) score as the primary outcome. Thirty trials comprising 8933 patients were included. In univariate analyses, antidepressant efficacy (ie, drug vs placebo difference) was predicted most strongly (β=3.74, p=0.0002) by the proportion

SUBMITTER: Dunlop BW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3499718 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature