Background: Desvenlafaxine (administered as desvenlafaxine succinate), the major active metabolite of venlafaxine, is a new serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD).
Objective: To assess the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of desvenlafaxine in healthy volunteers vs. those with renal impairment.
Materials and methods: A single, oral, 100 mg dose of desvenlafaxine was administered to healthy subjects (n = 8) and subjects with mild (n = 9), moderate (n = 9), or severe (n = 7) renal impairment (24-h creatinine clearance, ml/min: 50 - 80, 30 - 50, or < 30 ml/min, respectively) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD; on dialysis.