- Last edited on December 4, 2023
Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)
Primer
Desvenlafaxine (Trade name: Pristiq) is an antidepressant in the serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) class used in the treatment of major depressive disorder.
Dosing
- Starting and recommended dose: 50mg
- In clinical studies, doses of up to 400 mg per day have been shown to be effective, but no additional benefit was demonstrated at doses greater than 50 mg per day in most clinical studies.
- Adverse reactions and discontinuations are more frequent at higher doses.
- For some individuals, higher doses may in theory provide more benefit.
Pearls
- The elimination of desvenlafaxine is independent of CYP2D6 (unlike venlafaxine), which may be a potential advantage over venlafaxine for some patients in terms of drug–drug interactions and tolerability
- Venlafaxine is converted to desvenlafaxine via CYP 2D6