Recently the FDA approved a new anti-depressant called Pristiq. Known as desvenlafaxine, it has been in use for about 10 months. It works like the other anti-depressant medications and brings back the balance of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.
Pristiq is quite long acting and is taken once a day. Just like the earlier generation of anti-depressants, it also has a few side effects that include:
Nausea
Lightheadedness
Excess sweating
Constipation
Generalized tiredness
Diminished appetite
Anxiety, apprehension
Decrease libido in men
While Pristiq does not cure depression, it remains an option for individuals who do not respond to the older anti-depressants. The other advantage of Pristiq is it has been shown to be an excellent drug for treatment of melancholia that occurs during menopause.
From recent clinical trials, it has been shown that about 70% of individuals with major depression do respond to Pristiq. Further, the trials also showed remission rates for Pristiq were much lower than the older anti-depressants. It has not been fully evaluated if the drug works for chronic depression.