Prozac Is Unsafe and Ineffective for Young People, Study Finds
An analysis ( International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine 2022 ) finds that Prozac (generic name fluoxetine) is unsafe and ineffective for treating depression in children and adolescents. Regulatory documents show that trial participants attempted suicide after taking fluoxetine, but these events were excluded from the final journal publication in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Prozac Approval In 2002, Prozac (fluoxetine), manufactured by Eli Lilly, was FDA-approved for treating depression in children and adolescents based on data from two clinical trials. The two trials were published in peer-reviewed journals in 1997 ( Study 1 ) and 2002 ( Study 2 ). Both publications reported a small benefit of fluoxetine over placebo in young people with depression, and there appeared to be no significant safety concerns. Subsequently, fluoxetine became one of the most prescribed antidepressants for children aged 8 to 19 and under in the United States...