By Charly Groenendijk Back to Side-Effects
The Netherlands 2000 - 2009
Yet who Knows the Truth and Calls it a Lie, is a Criminal." - In "Galileo Galilei" by Berthold Brecht (1898-1956) 
Doctors & Health Insurers fall for the old "optical isomer trick." Lexapro/Cipralex (escitalopram) is merely the active "Optical Isomer" of Celexa/Cipramil (citalopram). Other terms for "Optical Isomer" are "Stereoisomer" and "Enantiomer". The two optical isomers of citalopram are just mirror images of one another. The fault is not really the physicians': Forest Laboratories has generally skipped the simple explanation that for all intents and purposes Lexapro/Cipralex is identical to Celexa/Cipramil, except that you only need to give half as much. Rather, news releases have implied that escitalopram is a completely novel compound. Introducing the active stereoisomer around the time that the racemic mixture goes off patent is an old trick in the industry, used for instance by Servier and American Home Products (Wyeth) in the case of fenfluramine. Essentially, it doubles the patent life of a single drug. Admittedly, Forest Labs is bringing the active Stereoisomer on the market a year or two earlier than Celexa/Cipramil goes off patent. There are no safety or efficacy issues, only fair trade practices. See recent medical review:
Single-enantiomer drugs: elegant science, disappointing effects Take notice that also non SSRI anti-depressants (and even Ritalin) may interact (primary or secondary) with the serotonergic (or serotoninergic) system in the brain. Every medication -especially SSRI Anti-depressants- boosting serotonin activity in the brain, has potential to induce the very dangerous and potentially fatal hyperserotonergic state of the Serotonin Syndrome. Lexapro or Cipralex side-effects Escitalopram Info: Physicians Go to Introduction Antidepressants Negative personality and perception changes, physical changes and more Go to Antidepressant Casualties in the Media Aggression, Violent Behaviour, Homicide, Suicide and Self-Harm Go to Recent Media Articles SSRI/SSNRI Anti-depressants Pharmaceutical Fraud & Corruption at FDA in 2004 Go to General Side-Effects SSRI/SNRI/SSNRI Antidepressants Medical Review & Reports, Cases and Studies Lexapro/Cipralex (escitalopram) - Celexa/Cipramil (citalopram): Medical Reports, Cases & Reviews No Abstract, more side-effects...
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