A new study conducted by researchers in Norway concludes that there is a link between the drug Paxil and a higher risk of suicide in adults. The study results were published in the medical journal 'BMC Medicine.'
The new study reviewed previous studies that compared 916 adults using Paxil to 550 adults taking a placebo. Those taking Paxil had seven suicide attempts while those taking the placebo had only one according to Ivar Aursnes, the leader of the study.
The study concluded, 'Patients and doctors should be warned that the increased suicidal activity observed in children and adolescents taking certain antidepressant drugs may well be present also in adults.'
Chris Hunter-Ward, a spokesman for GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Paxil, disputed the findings.
'These conclusions in no way reflect the picture that has been built up about the benefits and risks of paroxetine [Paxil] in adults through an extensive clinical trials program involving 24,000 patients,' Hunter-Ward said.
Not surprisingly, shares of GlaxoSmithKline were down after the study results were released.
