Efficacy of Vortioxetine Versus Escitalopram on Cognitive Function in Patients With Inadequate Response to Current Antidepressant Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

An Interventional, Randomised, Double-blind, Parallel-group, Active-comparator, Flexible-dose Study on the Efficacy of Vortioxetine Versus Escitalopram on Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients With Inadequate Response to Current Antidepressant Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

This study aims at evaluating the effect of vortioxetine on cognitive dysfunction in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients with inadequate response to current antidepressant treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The patient has MDD, diagnosed according to DSM-IV-TR™ recurrent MDE (classification 296.3x) as confirmed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).
• The patient has depressive symptoms currently considered as non- or only partially responsive (inadequate response), to one adequate course of SSRI/SNRI antidepressant monotherapy and is candidate for a switch in the investigator's opinion.
• The patient wants to stop taking his/her current SSRI/SNRI treatment due to inadequate response confirmed by the Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire (ATRQ), <50% response to current treatment).
• The patient must have been treated by SSRI/SNRI monotherapy (citalopram, paroxetine, sertraline, duloxetine, or venlafaxine) for at least 6 weeks at licensed doses prior to the Screening Visit.
• The patient has a PHQ-9 total score ≥14.
• The patient has a MADRS total score ≥ 22.
• The patient has had the current MDE for ≤1 year.
• The patient has a Perceived Deficits Questionnaire - Depression (PDQ-D) total score >25.
• The patient is a man or woman aged ≥18 and ≤65 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

• The patient has a score ≥70 on the DSST (Number of Correct Symbols) at the Baseline Visit.
• The patient has physical, cognitive, or language impairment of such severity as to adversely affect the validity of the data derived from the neuropsychological tests.
• The patient has any current psychiatric disorder or Axis I disorder (according to DSMIV-TR™ criteria) other than MDD, as assessed using MINI.
• The patient has a current or has had a diagnosis of dysthymic disorder within 3 months preceding the onset of current episode (DSM-IV-TR™ criteria).
• The patient has borderline, schizotypal, schizoid, paranoid, histrionic, antisocial personality disorders (axis II) as comorbid or primary diagnosis (DSM-IV-TR™ criteria).
• The patient has history of previous MDEs considered as treatment resistant defined as inadequate response (incomplete or no therapeutic response) to two prior courses of at least 6 weeks of conventional antidepressant drugs in adequate dosages or, the patient has treatment-resistant depression in the investigator's judgement.
• The patient suffers from personality disorders, mental retardation, pervasive development disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, organic mental disorders, or mental disorders due to a general medical condition (DSM-IV-TR™ criteria).
• The patient has a diagnosis of alcohol or other substance abuse or dependence (excluding nicotine or caffeine) (DSM-IV-TR™ criteria) that has not been in sustained full remission at least 2 years prior to the Screening Visit.
• The patient has a current diagnosis or history of manic or hypomanic episode, schizophrenia or any other psychotic disorder, including major depression with psychotic features (DSM-IV-TR™ criteria).

Other protocol defined inclusion and exclusion criteria may apply.