Like Cymbalta, Effexor works by preventing the brain from reabsorbing the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine.
Of special importance to Lilly will Effexor, from Wyeth (nyse: WYE - news - people ).
He points out that Wyeth's largest products, including the antidepressant Effexor and Protonix, for ulcers, are the ones growing the fastest.
He rates the stock "underperform, " although he does see strength in some of Wyeth's drugs, including Effexor for depression, Protonix for acid reflux, and pneumonia vaccine Prevnar.
Prozac and its various descendents are a huge presence on our most-popular list, with Lexapro, Zoloft (No. 7), Cymbalta (No. 8) and Effexor (No. 10) all making appearances.
Later this year, Effexor could be hit by new competition from Cymbalta, a similar medicine being developed by Eli Lilly (nyse: LLY - news - people ).
That also is creating doubts about whether Pristiq will be approved as an antidepressant, a major concern since Wyeth's top seller, the antidepressant Effexor XR, is expected to go generic next year.
However, he also said he expects strong sales of both Cymbalta and Effexor, and considers Lilly to be one of the best picks in the drug sector on the strength of its pipeline.
SNRIs include duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor).
CNN: Mixing migraine, depression drugs poses risk of serotonin syndrome
Wyeth sells Effexor, a widely used antidepressant, sells rheumatoid arthritis treatment Enbrel with Amgen (nasdaq: AMGN - news - people ) and has a pipeline stocked with new drugs, including an antibiotic the company thinks could be a blockbuster.
It is not the first drug to target both serotonin and norepinephrine--that honor goes to Effexor, a blockbuster made by Wyeth (nyse: WYE - news - people ) and put on the market around the same time as Prozac.
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