In the past two years many of my patiens have been very curious about the FDA approval of some novel antidepressants, Fetzima, Trintellix, and Viibryd -- all of which have similar mechanisms of action to existing antidepressant. So in considering their novelty - there isn't anything significantly new or different about what these medications are doing. What is different - is that they present new possibilities for patients who have found it hard to tolerate earlier medications. It's not that they're better -- it's more that they represent more options that can work with a wider range of genetic subtypes. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Trinellix and Viibryd) and combined selective serotonin reuptake inhibitos (Fetzima) all have similar mechanisms of action -- but have very different structures. Because of the different structures - they can interact quite differently with the overall functioning of the body. So there is a wider range of possiblity here to expereince signifcantly fewer side effects -- particularly weight gain or sexual dysfunction -- and so they might be worth a try. It's like adding a slight change of color to a flower. It might not be noticeable to some, but to toehrs it can make a world of difference!
