Posted by not exactly on February 2, 2003, at 14:26:13
In reply to Re: is strattera the same thing as reboxetine??, posted by noa on February 2, 2003, at 13:32:14
> I don't think it is the same as reboxetine, but my pdoc said it is related. It is atamoxetine.
They are different, but in the same "family" ( pharmacologically and chemically). They are both selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. The atomoxetine (Strattera) molecule [see http://pi.lilly.com/us/strattera-pi.pdf] is a hybrid of reboxetine [http://biopsychiatry.com/reboxetine] and fluoxetine [http://biopsychiatry.com/fluoxetine], which makes sense when you consider that Strattera's manufacturer (Lilly) also makes fluoxetine (better known as Prozac).
Atomoxetine is only available in the US (so far) as the brand name Strattera, and is approved/marketed only for treating ADHD (even though it has antidepressant qualities). Reboxetine, on the other hand, is available in Europe (as Edronax), but not the US, and is approved/marketed for treating depression (although it would probably also help with ADHD). Apparently, Lilly fought hard to prevent reboxetine from gaining FDA approval (in order to protect its antidepressant sales), then chose to market its own variant in the US as an ADHD med instead, hoping to create market share as the only ADHD drug which is not a "controlled substance" (Schedule II).
People who have tried both atomoxetine and reboxetine claim that they noticed some minor differences in action and side effects. Interestingly enough, many believe that atomoxetine is a more effective antidepressant than reboxetine!
hope this helps
- Bob
poster:not exactly
thread:133458
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030130/msgs/138931.html