FDA Clears Antidepression Patch

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the first skin-patch delivery system for treating depression.

The product, known as Emsam, was developed by Somerset Pharmaceuticals, a Tampa, Fla., joint venture of generic drugmakers Mylan Laboratories (MYL Quote) and Watson Pharmaceuticals (WPI Quote). Emsam will be marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb(BMY Quote).

Emsam contains selegiline, which is used in tablet form as a treatment for Parkinson's disease and also, infrequently, as a treatment for depression. Because selegiline can cause many side effects, especially when taken with certain foods, the companies were looking for a safer way to administer the medication. ...