This meta-analysis compared the efficacy and safety of desvenlafaxine and venlafaxine at the Australian approved doses.

A systematic literature search was conducted to identify all placebo-controlled studies of desvenlafaxine and venlafaxine in the treatment of major depression. The pivotal outcome measure used to assess comparative efficacy was the mean change in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-17 score from baseline. Tolerability and safety were compared by an evaluation of reported adverse events. Standard and Bayesian methods were used to conduct the indirect comparisons.

Using a mixed model repeated measures analysis, the pooled weighted mean difference for the mean change in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-17 score from baseline was −2.81 (−3.72, −1.91; p < 0.001) for desvenlafaxine and −2.61 (−3.17, −2.05; p < 0.001) for venlafaxine. An indirect Bayesian analysis adjusted for baseline Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-17 score showed no significant difference between the two treatments (weighted mean difference −0.27; −1.17, 0.65). A standard indirect comparison of any adverse events showed no significant difference between desvenlafaxine and venlafaxine (relative risk 1.01; 0.96, 1.06; p = 0.70 and risk difference −0.01; −0.05, 0.03; p = 0.59). Standard indirect comparisons of both nausea and drop-outs identified potential differences between treatments, with the risk difference analyses suggesting a trend in favor of desvenlafaxine (nausea: relative risk 0.97; 0.77, 1.22; p = 0.80/RD −0.07; −0.12, −0.01; p = 0.02; and drop-outs due to adverse events: RR 0.86; 0.58, 1.29; p = 0.48/RD −0.04; −0.08, 0.00; p = 0.06).

Based on the results of this meta-analysis, desvenlafaxine was shown to be non-inferior to venlafaxine in terms of efficacy, and has an advantage in terms of less nausea.