1980s
The 1980s was the decade in which antidepressants experienced a radical transformation. Until this point, imipramine, developed in the 1950s, was the standard by which the United States Food and Drug Administration judged the suitability of new antidepressants. This fact allowed a whole host of new drugs to emerge in the market, without much extensive scientific backing to distinguish them from earlier drugs whose administration was previously limited, due to a public and professional misunderstanding and mistreatment of depression (Kramer).
In 1987, Prozac, created by Eli Lilly and Company, was held to the old standards of imipramine and was shown to have little to no additional benefits over older drugs. It differed in one significant way, however, in that it was shown to be quite a bit safer than imipramine. It also differed in that Prozac was not just a re-branding of imipramine but, in fact, formed yet another new class of antidepressants: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). As the name of the class suggests, these drugs are meant to target serotonin specifically, bypassing norepinephrine, in order to stabilize mood without encouraging unwanted energetic effects. However, though Prozac was considered an SSRI, tests determined that it was not a pure SSRI, as it did still have a small impact on norepinephrine and other neurotransmitters (Kramer).
Despite its shaky claims as an SSRI, Prozac was received by many in the medical community as a godsend. It had been nearly forty years since a major development in antidepressants, and everyone seemed to be jumping on the bandwagon and prescribing the drug indiscriminately—everything from severe depression to mild mood disorders. In 1989, two short years after its release, Eli Lilly earned $350 million from the drug alone (Fitzpatrick). Eli Lilly had exposed major market potential, and this did not go unnoticed by other drug manufacturers.
The creation of Prozac started a boom in SSRI production, and it was followed by similar variants created by competing pharmaceutical companies in the early 1990s.
History of Antidepressants
References
Fitzpatrick, Laura. “A Brief History of Antidepressants.” Time Health. Time Magazine. 07 Jan 2010.
Kramer, Peter D. Listening to Prozac. Penguin Books. New York, 1993.
In 1987, Prozac, created by Eli Lilly and Company, was held to the old standards of imipramine and was shown to have little to no additional benefits over older drugs. It differed in one significant way, however, in that it was shown to be quite a bit safer than imipramine. It also differed in that Prozac was not just a re-branding of imipramine but, in fact, formed yet another new class of antidepressants: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). As the name of the class suggests, these drugs are meant to target serotonin specifically, bypassing norepinephrine, in order to stabilize mood without encouraging unwanted energetic effects. However, though Prozac was considered an SSRI, tests determined that it was not a pure SSRI, as it did still have a small impact on norepinephrine and other neurotransmitters (Kramer).
Despite its shaky claims as an SSRI, Prozac was received by many in the medical community as a godsend. It had been nearly forty years since a major development in antidepressants, and everyone seemed to be jumping on the bandwagon and prescribing the drug indiscriminately—everything from severe depression to mild mood disorders. In 1989, two short years after its release, Eli Lilly earned $350 million from the drug alone (Fitzpatrick). Eli Lilly had exposed major market potential, and this did not go unnoticed by other drug manufacturers.
The creation of Prozac started a boom in SSRI production, and it was followed by similar variants created by competing pharmaceutical companies in the early 1990s.
History of Antidepressants
References
Fitzpatrick, Laura. “A Brief History of Antidepressants.” Time Health. Time Magazine. 07 Jan 2010.
Kramer, Peter D. Listening to Prozac. Penguin Books. New York, 1993.
Conference
Every year, members of the Society get together for our annual conference. Read about speakers, ticket pricing, and the schedule of this year's events.
Life
In "Life," the history of assisted suicide and the controversy surrounding the issue are discussed.
Body
In "Body," the history and issues of Gender Identity Disorder are summarized.