Study Evaluating Desvenlafaxine Succinate Sustained Release In Adults With Major Depressive Disorder

HAM-D17: a standardized, clinician-administered rating scale that assesses 17 items characteristically associated with major depression. Items are scored on either a 3 point (0 to 2) or a 5 point scale (0 to 4), with 0=none/absent and 4=most severe, for a maximum total score of 50.

CGI-I: 7-point clinician rated scale ranging from 1 (very much improved) to 7 (very much worse). Improvement is defined as a score of 1 (very much improved), 2 (much improved), or 3 (minimally improved) on the scale. Higher score = more affected.

CGI-S: 7-point clinician rated scale to assess severity of participant's current illness state; range: 1 (normal - not ill at all) to 7 (among the most extremely ill patients). Higher score = more affected.

MADRS measures the overall severity of depressive symptoms. The MADRS has a 10-item checklist. Items are rated on a scale of 0-6, for a total score range of 0 (low severity of depressive symptoms) to 60 (high severity of depressive symptoms).

HAM-D6: a standardized, clinician-administered rating scale that assesses 6 items characteristically associated with major depression and is a subset of HAM-D17. HAM-D6 score ranges from 0-22. 0=none/absent and 22=most severe.The scale uses HAM-D17 items: 1, 2, 7, 8, 10 and 13. Item 13 is scored 0-2 and all others are scored 0-4.

A HAM-D17 responder was defined as a participant with a 50% or greater decrease from baseline in HAM-D17 score. HAM-D17 is a standardized, clinician-administered rating scale that assesses 17 items characteristically associated with major depression. Individual items are scored on either a 3 point (0 to 2) or a 5 point scale (0 to 4), with 0=none/absent and 4=most severe, for a maximum total score of 50.

Remission was defined as a HAM-D17 score of less than or equal to 7. HAM-D17 is a standardized, clinician-administered rating scale that assesses 17 items characteristically associated with major depression. Individual items are scored on either a 3 point (0 to 2) or a 5 point scale (0 to 4), with 0=none/absent and 4=most severe, for a maximum total score of 50.

A MADRS responder was defined as a participant with a 50% or greater decrease from baseline in MADRS score. It measures the overall severity of depressive symptoms. The MADRS has a 10-item checklist. Items are rated on a scale of 0-6, for a total score range of 0 (low severity of depressive symptoms) to 60 (high severity of depressive symptoms).

CGI-I responder was defined as a participant with a score of 1 (very much improved) or 2 (much improved) on the CGI-I. CGI-I: 7-point clinician rated scale ranging from 1 (very much improved) to 7 (very much worse). Improvement is defined as a score of 1 (very much improved), 2 (much improved), or 3 (minimally improved) on the scale. Higher score = more affected.

Relationship of demographic variables (age, gender, food, race, creatinine, aspartate aminotransaminase, alanine transaminase, bilirubin and concomitant medications) were examined by fitting measured DVS plasma concentrations to a 1 compartment model with first order absorption. Demographic variables were examined for clearance (CL/F), volume of distribution (V/F), Steady Area under Curve (AUC) using nonlinear mixed effects modeling. Final parameter estimates for demographic factors effecting CL/F, V/F and AUC were determined.

SDS: a self-administered tools that measures functional impairment in 3 domains: Work/School, Social Life, and Family Life/Home Responsibilities. The participant rates the extent to which each of these domains is impaired by his/her symptoms using a 10 point visual analog scale: (0=not at all impaired, 10=extremely impaired) for a total maximum score of 30.

WHO-5 evaluates positive psychological well-being. WHO-5 consists of 5 questions and each is rated on a 6-point scale. The total score ranges from 0 to 25 (0= worst possible quality of life; 25=best possible quality of life).

ASEX scale includes 5 questions that evaluate sexual function exclusively during the week prior to completion in the following areas: libido, excitability and ability to reach orgasm. Sexual dysfunction=an ASEX total score of 19 or greater, or a score of 5 or greater on any item, or a score of 4 or greater on any 3 items. Participants who have had no sexual activity during the prior week were instructed to not complete questions 3 through 5.

C-SSRS mapped into C-CASA(1-7) to assess whether participant:completed suicide(1),suicide attempt(2)(response of "Yes" on "Actual Attempt"),preparatory acts toward imminent suicidal behavior (3)("Yes" on "Preparatory Acts or Behavior"),suicidal ideation (4)("Yes" on "Wish to be dead","Non-Specific Active Suicidal Thoughts","Active Suicidal Ideation with methods without Intent to Act or Some Intent to Act,without Specific Plan or with Specific Plan and Intent),any suicidal behavior or ideation,self-injurious behaviour(7)("Yes" on "Has subject engaged in Non-suicidal Self-Injurious Behavior").

DESS: a clinician-administered 43-item assessment that evaluates discontinuation-emergent symptoms resulting from the withdrawal from test article. The DESS total score is the sum of the number of new symptoms and old (but worse) symptoms that appeared during tapering of the test article. A higher score indicates more symptoms.