FDA Committee Urges Stronger Warnings For Pediatric Use of SSRIs

WASHINGTON - Prompted by a public hearing on the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in pediatric patients, members of the FDA Advisory Committee on Psychopharmacologic Drugs have urged the FDA to require manufacturers of antidepressants in this family of drugs to implement warnings in order to alert clinicians about potential risks in children.

The FDA committee offered its suggestion to the federal agency after a Feb. 2 public hearing during which testimonials were presented from family members of individuals who either committed suicide or suffered adverse events after using drugs such as Effexor, Paxil, Prozac, Wellbutrin and Zoloft. …