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"The results indicate that Hypericum extract accelerated
the recovery from depression in a rather general manner, by influencing all investigated signs and symptoms of the disease."
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Clinical research demonstrates the efficacy of AMORYN
Recent studies have consistently demonstrated that potent Hypericum perforatum (Saint John's wort) extracts are superior to placebo and comparable to synthetic antidepressants for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Two capsules of AMORYN contain 900 mg of Hypericum extract, an amount comparable to those used in clinical trials. The potency of the Hypericum extract in AMORYN is assured through standardization of the active ingredient, hyperforin, to at least 5% (or 45mg per daily dose), a concentration that meets or exceeds those used in the trials found below. Hyperforin has been demonstrated to act as a reuptake inhibitor of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and GABA. Clinical research strongly suggests that the Hypericum extract found in AMORYN, rich in hyperforin, is an effective treatment for depression and anxiety. More Effective than Placebo, Similar to SSRIs A study at the University of Vienna1 analyzed three double-blind, randomized multicenter trials, during which 544 out-patients suffering from mild to moderate depression according to DSM-IV criteria received 900mg/day Hypericum extract or placebo over a treatment period of 6 weeks. The researchers concluded that "Hypericum extract reduced the symptoms of depression more effectively than placebo. However, the herbal drug was particularly effective in the core symptoms of the disorder. The results indicate that Hypericum extract accelerated the recovery from depression in a rather general manner, by influencing all investigated signs and symptoms of the disease. The drug's therapeutic profile was thus found to be similar to the profile of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors." Two capsules of AMORYN contain a dose similar to the dose used in this study. As Good or Better than Imiprimine or Fluoxetine A recent overview2 of all available research considered 34 controlled, double-blind trials of Hypericum extracts in some 3000 patients suffering from depression. The majority of the studies used the Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression as the efficacy criterion. Hypericum extract dosage ranged from 300 mg to 1200 mg. All placebo-controlled studies showed Hypericum extract to be significantly superior to placebo. Furthermore, "results with Hypericum were as good or even better than with imipramine or fluoxetine." The researcher went on to conclude that "in the medically supervised treatment of mild to moderate depression, doses of approximately 500-1000 mg of extract per day of these preparations of St. John's Wort are of comparable efficacy to synthetic antidepressants in their normally prescribed dosages." Two capules of AMORYN contain a dose similar to the higher doses examined in this study. Safe and More Effective than Placebo A French study3 published in the American Journal of Psychiatry again confirmed the efficacy of Hypericum extract. The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with 375 patients concluded that "Hypericum extract was found to be safe and more effective than placebo for the treatment of mild to moderate depression." Comparable to Fluoxetine but with Fewer Side Effects, and Particularly Effective for Anxiety A German study4 published in Pharmacopsychiatry compared Hypericum extract (500mg/day) with fluoxetine (Prozac® 20mg/day) in a randomized, double-blind multicenter trial including 240 patients. "The HAMD responder rate was 60% in the [Hypericum extract] group compared to 40% in the fluoxetine group (p=.005). Particularly, there was a marked decrease of depressive agitation (pre-post comparison: 46%) and anxiety symptoms (44%) during therapy with St. John's wort... There was no statistically significant differences between the treatment groups. Adverse events occured in 28 patients (25%) in the fluoxetine group and in 18 (14%) of the St. John's wort group... An especially interesting overall observation is that [Hypericum extract] is particularly effective in depressive patients suffering from anxiety symptoms. St. John's wort revealed better safety and tolerability data than fluoxetine." One capsule of AMORYN contains a dose similar to the dose used in this study. The recommended daily dose of AMORYN is two capsules. REFERENCES: (1) Kasper S, Dienel A. Cluster analysis of symptoms during antidepressant treatment with Hypericum extract in mildly to moderately depressed out-patients. A meta-analysis of data from three randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2002 Nov;164(3):301-8 (2) Schulz V. Clinical trials with hypericum extracts in patients with depression--results, comparisons, conclusions for therapy with antidepressant drugs. Phytomedicine 2002 Jul;9(5):468-74. (3) Lecrubier Y, Clerc G, Didi R, Kieser M. Efficacy of St. John's wort extract WS 5570 in major depression: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Psychiatry 2002 Aug;159(8):1361-6. (4) Friede M, Henneicke von Zepelin HH, Freudenstein J. Differential therapy of mild to moderate depressive episodes (ICD-10 F 32.0; F 32.1) with St. John's wort. Pharmacopsychiatry 2001 Jul;34 Suppl 1:S38-41. |
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