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Escitalopram

  • Prescription medicine
  • Prescription only
  • Identity checked
  • Sources last checked 2026-09-04

This page shows what was measured, who it was measured in, and what that does not settle.

What Escitalopram does in the body

Only the left-handed one blocks the serotonin pump; the right-handed one does very little.

Citalopram is a mixture of two molecules that are mirror images of each other, like a left and right hand. Escitalopram is that mixture with the inactive hand removed. Beyond that it works exactly like any other SSRI: it plugs the pump that clears serotonin out of the gap between nerve cells.

Why people take it. Used for depression and generalised anxiety.

What happened in people

In the largest antidepressant comparison, escitalopram combined better-than-average results with fewer people stopping treatment.

Reviewed first-read answer

Where this came from

A person wrote this and a reviewer approved it against this exact record. It carries no effect size.

A reviewer approved this against this record. The reviewed-claim record carrying the exact population and effect size does not exist yet.

No source is stored against this line.

The limit that matters most

Higher doses increased side-effect dropouts without clearly adding more benefit.

Where it acts
Presynaptic serotonergic terminals, raphe nuclei and cortical projections
Kind of result
The kind of result is not recorded
Supervision
Professional supervision is normally required. A regulator classifies this substance in a way that restricts how it is supplied.

What the registries record it as

  • Its recorded molecular formula is C20H21FN2O•C2H2O4, weighing 414.40.

    US prescribing information · 10b25a10-c5e7-479b-a9f5-7eeafd802323 · read 2026-08-30

Where each sentence above came from

A person wrote this explanation into the record, with the studies named in the path below.

A reviewer approved this sentence against this exact record and its sources.

The limit a reviewer approved as the one that matters most here.

The four opening statements run to 86 words.

Words this page uses

Four words worth knowing first

Chosen from what this page shows, with each one explained before the word it depends on.

Formulation

A formulation is the exact made-up form a substance comes in.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

It is like the difference between a whole bean and instant coffee.

Where that stops being true. Coffee tastes different. A formulation can change how much reaches the blood.

What people get wrong. Two products with the same name are assumed to behave the same. They often do not.

The specific composition and physical form of a product, including salt, excipients and release profile.

Enzyme

An enzyme is a protein that speeds up one chemical change.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

An enzyme is like a machine on a production line doing one cut.

Where that stops being true. A machine is switched on and off by a person. Enzymes are controlled by the cell.

What people get wrong. Enzymes are thought to be used up. They are not; they work again and again.

A catalytic protein that lowers the activation energy of a specific reaction.

Receptor

A receptor is a part of a cell that a signal fits into.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A receptor is like a lock waiting for one key.

Where that stops being true. A lock either opens or does not. A receptor can be half-triggered, or worn out.

What people get wrong. Fitting a receptor is read as causing a benefit. It causes a step, and nothing more.

A protein that binds a specific ligand and converts that binding into a cellular response.

Pathway

A pathway is a chain of steps inside a cell, each one setting off the next.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A pathway is like a row of dominoes.

Where that stops being true. Dominoes fall one way. Pathways loop back and can switch themselves off.

What people get wrong. Changing one step is read as changing the outcome. Other steps often absorb it.

An ordered series of molecular interactions producing a defined cellular change.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What was measured, goal by goal

One row for each goal a registered study measured something for. One column for each kind of thing that could be measured.

Registered studies list 40 outcome measures that RNAWiki could read. A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. 0 of the matched studies tested this substance, and 0 posted a result.

There is no single score. A strong test result and a weak life result are different facts.

Goals down the side, kinds of measurement across the top. Each cell says what kind of thing was registered, not what was found.
GoalLife outcomeWhat a body can doHow a person feelsA test resultA step in the bodyHarmsHow longWho was studied
MoodWaiting for a reviewer2 registered study measure of this kind. No reviewed result yet.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Waiting for a reviewer12 registered symptom measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a test result for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
SleepNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Waiting for a reviewer1 registered symptom measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a test result for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
FocusNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Waiting for a reviewer2 registered performance measure of this kind.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a symptom measure for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a test result for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
PainNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Waiting for a reviewer1 registered symptom measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a test result for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
Which registered measures put each goal on this table
Mood
hamilton depression scale; hamilton rating scale for depression; montgomery asberg depression rating scale; montgomery asberg depression scale a of 13 or higher; remission of depression; recurrence of major depression; hamilton anxiety rating scale; madrs
Sleep
pittsburgh sleep quality index; diary sleep efficiency
Focus
global cognitive performance; cognitive instrumental activities of daily living
Pain
pain relief

Sorted by fixed word lists, version v1. A name the rules do not recognise stays unsorted rather than moving to the nearest column.

What each mark on this table means
Waiting for a reviewer
2 registered study measure of this kind. No reviewed result yet.
Nothing in the sources checked
No registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.
Not recorded
Harms were not a registered measure for this goal.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What happened in people

Each card is one study: the exact question it asked, who was in it, and whether it showed what it set out to show.

Response rate at 8 weeks and all-cause discontinuation

The study showed what it set out to show

Who was studied
Cipriani network meta-analysis (522 trials pooled)
How many people
116477
Study design
Systematic review and network meta-analysis
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
All 21 drugs superior to placebo on efficacy with credible intervals excluding 1
Repeated elsewhere
Replicated

What this does not prove. Meeting one endpoint in one population does not carry to other goals or other people.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral tablet and oral solution, once daily

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

Change in CDRS-R total score at 8 weeks

The study showed what it set out to show

Who was studied
Emslie 2009 adolescent MDD trial
How many people
312
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
P = 0.022 (-22.1 vs -18.8, last observation carried forward)
Repeated elsewhere
Partially Replicated

What this does not prove. Meeting one endpoint in one population does not carry to other goals or other people.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. Discontinuation for adverse events 2.6% vs 0.6%; serious adverse events 2.6% vs 1.3%; suicidality incidence reported as similar between groups.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral tablet and oral solution, once daily

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

Dose-efficacy and dose-acceptability curves for SSRIs

The study showed what it set out to show

Who was studied
Furukawa dose-response meta-analysis
How many people
19364
Study design
Dose-response systematic review and meta-analysis
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Efficacy plateaued at 20-40 mg fluoxetine equivalents; results robust to several sensitivity analyses
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. Meeting one endpoint in one population does not carry to other goals or other people.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral tablet and oral solution, once daily

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

What we know
RNAWiki holds 3 written-up human studies for this substance, each with the question it asked.
How we know it
Each card names the study, the number of people and what the study set out to measure.
What this does not prove
These summaries were written by a person and have not been signed off as reviewed claims.
Why it matters
A study that failed is as informative as one that worked, and both are here.
What we still do not know
No reviewed claim exists, so no exact population, effect size or interval is published yet.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How close this is to real life

The top step is something a person would feel or care about. The bottom is a guess from software. Filled steps are where evidence exists for this substance.

  1. Living longer, or avoiding a major event Evidence recorded. Death, a heart attack, a stroke, a hospital stay.3 registered measures of this kind. No reviewed result.
  2. What a body can do day to day Evidence recorded. Walking, dressing, breathing, recovering.2 registered measures of this kind.
  3. Measured performance Evidence recorded. How much was lifted, how far was run, how fast.2 registered measures of this kind.
  4. Symptoms and quality of life Evidence recorded. Pain, tiredness, mood, sleep, as the person rated it.16 registered measures of this kind.
  5. A number that stands in for health No evidence recorded. Cholesterol, blood sugar, bone density. A stand-in, not the thing itself.No registered study measures this.
  6. A step measured inside a person Evidence recorded. Something measured in human tissue or human cells.A human record sits on the stored organism ladder.
  7. Animals Evidence recorded. Mice, rats, dogs. Useful for ideas, not proof about people.Stored records in C. elegans (roundworm), Mouse. A result in animals says what to test next. It does not say what happens in people.
  8. Cells in a dish Evidence recorded. Cells or chemistry on a bench, far from a whole body.Stored mechanism abstracts describe steps measured in cells or tissue.
  9. A guess from software No evidence recorded. Nobody measured it. RNAWiki never publishes one as a finding.RNAWiki stores no prediction for this record. Software can suggest a link. RNAWiki does not publish one as a finding.

Higher on these steps means closer to something a person would feel. It does not mean better done.

What it changes in the bodyRead from sources, not yet reviewed

The path through the body

From what a person takes to what changes. A solid line is a step measured in people. A dashed line is a step nobody has measured that way.

Where a source records it acting

  • Brain: Potentiation of serotonergic activity in the central nervous system (CNS) through inhibition of CNS neuronal reuptake of serotonin, as recorded

    US prescribing information · 0458445b-e431-4c82-86b8-90373813c10a · read 2026-08-27

  1. Start

    Escitalopram

    What a person takes: Oral tablet and oral solution, once daily.

    The measurement behind this step

    Immediate-release tablets and an oral solution. Absorption is not affected by food. The long half-life means a missed dose is forgiving and abrupt cessation still produces discontinuation symptoms.

  2. Getting in

    Once-daily tablet, absorbed independently of food

    One tablet a day. Food does not meaningfully change how much is absorbed, and the level in the blood stops rising after about a week.

    Described, with no measurement named. No measurement is named for this step, so it is drawn as an unconfirmed link.

    The measurement behind this step

    Oral bioavailability around 80%, absorption unaffected by food, terminal half-life of roughly 27 to 32 hours giving steady state in about a week. Metabolised by CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 to weakly active demethyl metabolites.

  3. Reaching the cell

    Enters the brain as a single enantiomer

    Unlike citalopram, what arrives at the nerve terminals is only the active mirror-image form.

    Described, with no measurement named. No measurement is named for this step, so it is drawn as an unconfirmed link.

    The measurement behind this step

    Crosses the blood-brain barrier and distributes to serotonergic projection fields. The R-enantiomer present in racemic citalopram is absent, which is the entire pharmacological difference between the two products.

  4. What it acts on

    Occupies the serotonin transporter

    It blocks the pump that clears serotonin out of the gap between nerve cells, so the messenger lingers.

    Described, with no measurement named. No measurement is named for this step, so it is drawn as an unconfirmed link.

    The measurement behind this step

    Binds the primary substrate site of SLC6A4. Escitalopram is the most SERT-selective of the SSRIs, with negligible activity at norepinephrine and dopamine transporters and at muscarinic, histaminergic and adrenergic receptors — which is why its side-effect profile is narrower than the older tricyclics.

  5. The change it makes

    Autoreceptor adaptation over weeks

    The immediate effect is blocked within hours, but the mood change takes weeks, which points at slower adaptation rather than at a topped-up chemical.

    Described, with no measurement named. No measurement is named for this step, so it is drawn as an unconfirmed link.

    The measurement behind this step

    Somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptor desensitisation over two to four weeks releases the acute brake on raphe firing, raising net forebrain serotonergic transmission. The link from that adaptation to symptom change remains a hypothesis.

  6. What that does for a person

    Rating-scale scores fall

    The endpoint in every trial is a questionnaire score, not a laboratory value.

    Measured in people. Written by a person from the study named beside the step. Not signed off as a reviewed claim.

    The measurement behind this step

    Efficacy is measured as MADRS, HAM-D, HAM-A or CDRS-R change. In the adolescent trial the separation was 3.3 CDRS-R points; in the adult network the estimate is an odds ratio on response rate.

No suggested links are held for this record, so nothing is hidden from this path.

What we know
The record describes 5 steps from taking it to an effect in a person.
How we know it
Each step names the study behind it in the technical detail beside it.
What this does not prove
A change inside the body is a reason to look. It is not a result in a person.
Why it matters
A reader can see exactly where the chain stops being measured in people.
What we still do not know
No reviewed claim binds any of these steps to a named population.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Felt, measured, or meaningful

Three different things that get called the same word. Registered studies measured all three, and mixing them is how a blood test becomes a health claim.

Felt

Things a person could notice without a test.

  • hamilton depression scale
  • hamilton rating scale for depression
  • montgomery asberg depression rating scale
  • montgomery asberg depression scale a of 13 or higher
  • pain relief
  • pittsburgh sleep quality index
  • hamilton anxiety rating scale
  • penn state worry questionnaire
  • madrs
  • hamilton depression rating scale

and 6 more.

Measured

Things only a test, a scale or a device shows.

No registered study measured anything of this kind.

Meaningful

Things that change how a life goes, not only a number.

  • remission of depression
  • remission
  • global cognitive performance
  • cognitive instrumental activities of daily living
  • remission of depressive symptoms

A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. A number moving is not the same as a life going better. The two are shown apart here.

Felt, but not shown to help. A person notices a change. No study showed it leads anywhere good.

Measured, but not felt. A number moves. The person notices nothing. Both can be true.

Measured, but not shown to matter. A number moves in the good direction. Nobody showed that lives went better.

Matters, but takes years. The result that counts may take longer than anyone would keep watching.

Names that fit none of the three (19)
  • clinical global impressions scale
  • y bocs scores at 1st and last visit
  • negative symptoms
  • ham d 17
  • diary sleep efficiency
  • recurrence of major depression
  • treatment adherence
  • yale brown obsessive compulsive scale
  • caps
  • pharmacokinetics
  • changes in updrs subscale
  • response rates
  • phase 2
  • cordance value
  • remitters on ids c30 at week 12
  • bioequivalence
  • depressive symptoms
  • auc of m1 metabolite of tramadol
  • time of retention

These are harms, study-process measures, or names the rules did not recognise. They are shown rather than dropped.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How long anything takes

Nine different lengths of time that get confused with each other. None of them is worked out from another.

  1. Before anything is noticed. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  2. Before a test result moves. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  3. Before performance moves. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  4. How long the result was watched. No finished study window is recorded for a study that tested this substance.

  5. How long people took it. How long people actually took it is not stored. The study window is not the same thing.

  6. How long people were followed. Follow-up length is not stored separately. It is never read off the study window, which would be a different thing.

  7. How fast the body clears it. about 27 to 32 hours hours

    Read from the label, which states: “Biotransformation of escitalopram is mainly hepatic, with a mean terminal half-life of about 27-32 hours.”

  8. How long effects linger. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  9. Beyond the studies. Nothing is recorded about the long term.

    The longest finished study sets the edge of what anyone measured.

A study window is not how long people took it, and neither is how long they were followed. Where RNAWiki holds only one of the three, it shows one.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Were people like you studied?

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it, and where the result stops carrying.

Who was studied

People similar to this profile were included.

  • Adults with major depression or generalised anxiety disorder, adolescents aged 12 and older with depression, and children aged 7 and older with generalised anxiety disorder.

Who is missing from the studies

  • Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What the label states about particular groups

  • On pediatric, the label states: “The safety and effectiveness of escitalopram oxalate have not been established in pediatric (younger than 12 years of age) patients with major depressive disorder.”

    US prescribing information · 10b25a10-c5e7-479b-a9f5-7eeafd802323 · read 2026-08-30

  • On older people, the label states: “Approximately 6% of the 1144 patients receiving escitalopram in controlled trials of escitalopram oxalate in major depressive disorder and GAD were 60 years of age or older; elderly patients in these trials received daily doses of escitalopram oxalate between 10 and 20 mg.”

    US prescribing information · 10b25a10-c5e7-479b-a9f5-7eeafd802323 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are pregnant, the label states: “Pregnancy Exposure Registry There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to antidepressants during pregnancy.”

    US prescribing information · 10b25a10-c5e7-479b-a9f5-7eeafd802323 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are breastfeeding, the label states: “Risk Summary Data from the published literature report the presence of escitalopram and desmethylescitalopram in human milk (see Data) .”

    US prescribing information · 10b25a10-c5e7-479b-a9f5-7eeafd802323 · read 2026-08-30

Where the result stopped carrying

  • CIT-MD-18, the paediatric trial of the parent drug citalopram, showed no significant difference from placebo on its protocol-specified outcome; the published article reported it as positive, and litigation documents showed how
  • This is a scope explorer, not a diagnosis engine.
  • It shows who was studied so you can see whether people similar to you were included.

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Why it might seem to do nothing

A real effect and a noticed effect are different things. These are the recorded reasons the two come apart.

It was studied for a different goal

The studies measured something else entirely.

On this record: Some registered studies measured things that match no goal on this page.

It was studied in different people

The people in the studies were not much like the reader.

On this record: Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

A different form was studied

The studied form is not the form on the shelf.

On this record: This record is linked to 1 related forms. Evidence does not carry across all of them.

There was nothing to correct

Where a level is already normal, topping it up may change nothing.

On this record: The dose-response finding has moved guidance toward starting and staying low rather than titrating on principle

The evidence may simply be wrong

Small early studies often do not hold up.

On this record: RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Other reasons RNAWiki checked and found nothing for (8)
Something else had to happen too
In the studies it was paired with training, a diet or another treatment. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The change is too small to feel
A real change can still sit below what a person notices. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Day-to-day swing hides it
Sleep, food, stress and time of day move most numbers more than this would. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Not enough time yet
The studies ran longer than the person has waited. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
It was not taken as studied
Missed days change the result, and studies count them. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else changed at the same time
Two changes at once cannot be told apart afterwards. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The product may not be what it says
Contents of a sold product are not always what the label states. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
No recorded reason
RNAWiki has nothing stored that would explain it. Nothing in this record points to this reason.

None of these is a reason to take more. Taking more is not a step this page ever suggests.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What taking it involves

The recorded facts about getting hold of it and using it. Nothing here is a suggestion about what you should do.

How it is supplied

Prescription only

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Read from the recorded approval status.

No source is stored against this line.

Form and route

Oral tablet and oral solution, once daily

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form and route recorded on this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

Who oversees it

Professional supervision is normally required. A regulator classifies this substance in a way that restricts how it is supplied.

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Suppression classes recorded: S6.

No source is stored against this line.

What is in the pack

Immediate-release tablets and an oral solution. Absorption is not affected by food. The long half-life means a missed dose is forgiving and abrupt cessation still produces discontinuation symptoms.

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

Recorded notes on how this is sold and what that means for what is in the pack.

No source is stored against this line.

Where it is registered

Regulatory records are listed in the technical disclosure at the foot of this page.

Counted from records

Where this came from

A count of rows RNAWiki holds. It describes our records, not your body.

Register entries are stored per jurisdiction and shown with their dates.

No source is stored against this line.

Why people stop

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

No record of why people stopped taking it is stored for this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What can go wrong

Sorted by where each line came from. A regulator's label and a report somebody sent in are not the same kind of fact.

Worth asking a clinician aboutWritten into the record from the studies named on this page

The US label carries a boxed warning for increased suicidal thinking and behaviour in children, adolescents and young adults up to age 24. Common adverse effects are nausea, insomnia, somnolence, increased sweating and sexual dysfunction. Dose-dependent QT prolongation is a class concern that led the FDA to restrict maximum citalopram dosing in 2011; escitalopram labelling carries QT precautions. Hyponatraemia and serotonin syndrome are recognised risks.

Nobody counted how many people took this and were fine, so this cannot be turned into a rate.

Where this came from

Reports sent to a regulator

  • These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction.
  • Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing.
  • The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete.
  • News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report.
  • A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Escitalopram appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 5783 reaction mentions were counted. One report can name several reactions.

The recorded terms (10)
  • drug interaction — 821 reaction mentions
  • somnolence — 622 reaction mentions
  • suicide attempt — 622 reaction mentions
  • electrocardiogram qt prolonged — 618 reaction mentions
  • anxiety — 564 reaction mentions
  • depression — 535 reaction mentions
  • serotonin syndrome — 532 reaction mentions
  • hyponatraemia — 527 reaction mentions
  • suicidal ideation — 502 reaction mentions
  • tremor — 440 reaction mentions
  • open-targets-adr · recorded 2026-06-24 · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Over a long time. No completed tested study window is recorded, so long-term effects are not established by the registry record.

Groups the studies covered thinly. Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Does the exact form matter?

Evidence belongs to the exact thing that was tested. A different salt, a different mixture or a different preparation is a different question.

The form that was studied

Oral tablet and oral solution, once daily

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form used in the studies cited on this page.

No source is stored against this line.

What is sold

Absorption is not affected by food. The long half-life means a missed dose is forgiving and abrupt cessation still produces discontinuation symptoms.

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

Recorded notes on which forms are sold and how they compare.

No source is stored against this line.

What is recorded as being sold

  • 81 published labels name it as an active ingredient. 81 of them describe this substance alone, which is where its own label text on this page comes from.

    US prescribing information · 102c3893-4fdc-40b3-bd83-775e292723d7 · read 2026-08-29

  • Those labels are classed as human prescription drug.

    US prescribing information · 102c3893-4fdc-40b3-bd83-775e292723d7 · read 2026-08-29

  • Escitalopram Oral Solution is oral solution at 1 mg per mL, recorded as prescription product; fda label in effect 2025-03-05 in the United States.

    US prescribing information · 0458445b-e431-4c82-86b8-90373813c10a · read 2026-08-27

  • Recorded price in US: 0.0394–5.40748 USD per one unit as the pricing file counts it — a tablet, capsule, patch or single item, across 65 priced products whose strengths and pack forms differ, as of 2026-08-26, paid by retail pharmacies buying the product, as surveyed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is not a list price, an insurance price, or what anyone pays at a counter..

    Recorded source · 2026-08-26 · read 2026-08-28

Evidence carries across two names for one substance. It does not carry across a salt, a mirror form or a mixture.

Names and forms linked to this record

  • Racemate of

    Citalopram

    Evidence on this page does not automatically apply to this one.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What you could measure

This one is decided with a clinician, so this section holds questions to ask rather than a plan to run.

Self-experiment planning is not offered for a prescription or clinician-supervised medicine. The questions below are for a clinician or pharmacist.

Questions worth asking

  • Which of the trials of Escitalopram studied people like me?
  • What was measured, and for how long?
  • Was the result a laboratory value or a health outcome?
  • What would we watch for, and when would we stop?

Tracking can show whether something changed for you. It cannot show what caused it.

RNAWiki records evidence. It does not say whether this substance is right for you.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Claims that go past the evidence

Things said about this substance that sound reasonable, and the exact step that is missing between the evidence and the claim.

Goes past the evidence

That escitalopram is superior to milligram-equivalent racemic citalopram — the comparisons behind that claim were contested from 2003 and the allosteric mechanism proposed for it was never demonstrated in humans

Why it sounds right. It follows from something real on this page: a body step, an animal result or a related finding.

The missing step. Nobody measured this in people for this use, or the study that did measure it did not show it.

What would change this

A study in people, for this exact use, measuring this exact thing, that a reviewer signs off.

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Goes past the evidence

That titrating a partial responder to a higher dose improves the odds of response

Why it sounds right. It follows from something real on this page: a body step, an animal result or a related finding.

The missing step. Nobody measured this in people for this use, or the study that did measure it did not show it.

What would change this

A study in people, for this exact use, measuring this exact thing, that a reviewer signs off.

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Goes past the evidence

That the drug corrects a serotonin deficiency, an explanation the biomarker literature does not support

Why it sounds right. It follows from something real on this page: a body step, an animal result or a related finding.

The missing step. Nobody measured this in people for this use, or the study that did measure it did not show it.

What would change this

A study in people, for this exact use, measuring this exact thing, that a reviewer signs off.

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What nobody knows yet

Open questions, each with why it is open and what would close it.

Missing populations

Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing long-term data

No completed tested study window is recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

No reviewed conclusion

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing interaction studies

No interaction was found in the registers checked. Not finding one is not the same as showing there is none.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Formulation uncertainty

Several salts, forms or products of Escitalopram are recorded. Results from one form may not transfer to another.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Mechanism not reviewed

No reviewed mechanism story exists for this substance.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Check any of this yourself

Every line above traced back to the study it came from. This is the technical layer, and the vocabulary changes here.

Every line above can be traced to the study named beside it. Follow the link and read it.

Top-tier ranking in the 21-drug network on efficacy and acceptability together
In plain words
In the largest comparison of antidepressants ever assembled, escitalopram was in the small group that combined better-than-average results with better-than-average tolerability.
What was measured
Response rate odds ratio and all-cause discontinuation odds ratio
Effect estimate
No reviewed effect estimate exists for this record.
Limits
See the technical detail.
From the source
Cipriani et al. pooled 522 double-blind randomised trials and 116,477 participants across 21 antidepressants, with response rate as the efficacy primary and all-cause discontinuation as the acceptability primary. All 21 drugs beat placebo on efficacy; escitalopram was among those with both a favourable efficacy odds ratio and favourable acceptability. Certainty of evidence was rated moderate to very low across most comparisons, and the ranking is a network estimate, not a head-to-head result.
Source
Cipriani A et al., Lancet 2018;391:1357-1366
Role in the trial
Not matched to a registered study
Identity check
no open identity hold
Audit mark
verified
Review state
Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim
The "chiral chimera" objection was published the year escitalopram launched
In plain words
From 2003 onwards, pharmacologists argued in print that separating out the active half of citalopram was a commercial move dressed as a scientific advance, because the comparisons used to prove superiority were not fair.
What was measured
That escitalopram is meaningfully superior to milligram-equivalent citalopram, rather than being the same active molecule delivered without its inactive partner
Effect estimate
No reviewed effect estimate exists for this record.
Limits
See the technical detail.
From the source
Svensson and Mansfield set out the objection in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics: the claimed superiority of escitalopram over citalopram rested on comparisons in which escitalopram was tested at doses that were not milligram-equivalent to the citalopram comparator, on manufacturer-sponsored analyses, and on a mechanism — allosteric interference by the R-enantiomer — that was proposed rather than demonstrated in humans. Later independent reanalyses reached mixed conclusions. This is a dispute about the increment over the racemate, not about whether escitalopram works.
Source
Svensson S, Mansfield PR. Escitalopram: superior to citalopram or a chiral chimera? Psychother Psychosom 2003
Role in the trial
Not matched to a registered study
Identity check
no open identity hold
Audit mark
contested
Review state
Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim
Adolescent depression: a 3.3-point CDRS-R separation in 312 patients
In plain words
In the trial that supported the teenage indication, depression scores fell about three points further on escitalopram than on placebo over eight weeks, on a scale that runs from 17 to 113.
What was measured
Change in CDRS-R total score at 8 weeks
Effect estimate
No reviewed effect estimate exists for this record.
Limits
See the technical detail.
From the source
Emslie et al. randomised adolescents aged 12 to 17; 259 of 312 completed eight weeks of double-blind treatment. Baseline Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised was 57.6 on escitalopram and 56.0 on placebo. Change at endpoint was -22.1 versus -18.8 (p=0.022, last observation carried forward). Discontinuation for adverse events was 2.6% versus 0.6%; serious adverse events 2.6% versus 1.3%; suicidality incidence similar between groups. The FDA granted the adolescent MDD indication on this evidence base.
Source
Emslie GJ et al., J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2009;48:721-729
Role in the trial
Not matched to a registered study
Identity check
no open identity hold
Audit mark
verified
Review state
Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim
The paediatric citalopram trial behind the franchise was misreported, and court documents proved it
In plain words
The children's trial of citalopram — escitalopram's parent drug — was published as positive. Litigation documents later showed the protocol-specified outcome had shown no difference from placebo.
What was measured
Not recorded
Effect estimate
No reviewed effect estimate exists for this record.
Limits
This entry records a failure.
From the source
Jureidini, Amsterdam and McHenry reconstructed the CIT-MD-18 paediatric depression trial from documents produced in litigation. They found efficacy and safety data inconsistent with the protocol criteria; unreported procedural deviations that conferred statistical significance on the primary outcome; an implausible claimed effect size; post-hoc positive measures introduced and negative secondary outcomes omitted; adverse events analysed misleadingly; and manuscript drafts prepared by company employees and outside ghostwriters with academic researchers solicited as authors. Their conclusion was that protocol-specified outcomes showed no statistically significant difference between citalopram and placebo. Forest Laboratories, escitalopram's US marketer, resolved related federal charges in 2010.
Source
Jureidini JN, Amsterdam JD, McHenry LB. Int J Risk Saf Med 2016;28:33-43
Role in the trial
Not matched to a registered study
Identity check
no open identity hold
Audit mark
caution
Review state
Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim
Higher doses buy tolerability problems, not extra efficacy
In plain words
Across 77 studies, SSRI benefit stopped increasing near the bottom of the licensed dose range while side-effect dropouts kept climbing all the way up it.
What was measured
That increasing the dose of an SSRI in a partial responder increases the chance of response
Effect estimate
No reviewed effect estimate exists for this record.
Limits
See the technical detail.
From the source
Furukawa et al. dose-response meta-analysis, 77 studies, 19,364 participants. For SSRIs (99 treatment groups) the dose-efficacy curve rose gradually to between 20 and 40 mg fluoxetine equivalents and was then flat to decreasing through the higher licensed doses up to 80 mg equivalents. Dropouts due to adverse effects increased steeply across the examined range, and optimal acceptability sat in the lower licensed range. The routine clinical inference that a partial responder should be titrated upward is not supported by this curve at the population level.
Source
Furukawa TA et al., Lancet Psychiatry 2019;6:601-609
Role in the trial
Not matched to a registered study
Identity check
no open identity hold
Audit mark
caution
Review state
Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim
The serotonin-deficiency account is not supported, and the trial results are unchanged
In plain words
The explanation given to patients for decades — that the drug corrects a chemical imbalance — has no consistent biomarker evidence behind it. That does not undo the trial results, and the trials never measured serotonin.
What was measured
That escitalopram corrects a measurable serotonin deficiency in depressed patients
Effect estimate
No reviewed effect estimate exists for this record.
Limits
See the technical detail.
From the source
Moncrieff et al.'s umbrella review of 17 studies found no consistent association between depression and serotonin metabolite concentrations, 5-HT1A binding, SERT binding, or SERT genetics, and reported evidence that lowered plasma serotonin was associated with antidepressant use rather than with depression. Jauhar et al., for 35 co-authors, argued the conclusion was overstated on methodological and interpretive grounds, particularly regarding tryptophan depletion and molecular imaging. Both papers are about pathophysiology. Neither reanalyses an escitalopram trial.
Source
Moncrieff J et al., Mol Psychiatry 2023;28:3243-3256; Jauhar S et al., Mol Psychiatry 2023;28:3149-3152
Role in the trial
Not matched to a registered study
Identity check
no open identity hold
Audit mark
contested
Review state
Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim

How many documents were read

  • 81 documents were read for this substance.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 81 of them state the same halfLife, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 81 of them state the same bioavailability, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 81 of them state the same volumeOfDistribution, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

Where else this substance is registered

FDA substance identifier (UNII)
5U85DBW7LO
CAS registry number
128196-01-0
PubChem compound
146570
RxNorm concept
321988

Checks this page had to pass

  • Passed

    Identity resolved

    no open identity hold

  • Passed

    No unresolved merge across substance families

    no quarantine open

  • Passed

    Every public sentence names a source

    The opening statement carries the origin: Written into the record, not signed off.

  • Not passed

    Trial roles classified for highlighted evidence

    No registered study is classified as testing this substance.

  • Passed

    No internal keys in reader text

    enforced by the copy-contract test over the rendered page

  • Passed

    Safety mode resolved

    Suppression classes recorded: S6.

  • Passed

    Canonical metadata present

    slug and display name present

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What to learn next

Ordered by what would most change how you read this page, starting with what is easiest to misunderstand.

This order is fixed in code and does not count clicks or time on the page.

What is not here

4 questions this page could not answer

These sections were prepared and left out because there was nothing to put in them. They are listed rather than hidden, so the gaps in this record are visible.

  • What it may clash with — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • Other ways to the same goal — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • How this medicine reached us — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • What changed on this page — found nothing in the sources checked.

The record as stored

The full record, for auditing

Everything above is built from what is below. This layer keeps the technical vocabulary, record identifiers and every stored row, so a reader who wants to check the page can.

The older medicine-wide conclusion held in this record

Written for a clinical reader, and about the medicine as a whole rather than about one indication, population and set of trials. RNAWiki does not treat it as a programme conclusion and no reviewer has signed it off in that form. It is here word for word because it is what the record holds.

The isolated active enantiomer of citalopram, ranked with sertraline in the top tier of the 21-drug antidepressant network on efficacy and acceptability, and licensed on a chemistry argument that was contested in print from the year it launched.

Recorded evidence blocks (13)

What did Escitalopram's largest trial (3255526 people) and its longest (18 years) measure?


3255526 people in Escitalopram's largest registered study, 18 years in its longest registered window, measuring Hamilton Depression Rating Scale: Stratified by Baseline Frailty. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

147 phase4, 80 phase3, 68 na, 49 phase2, 26 phase1, 20 na or unstated, 3 early phase1; NCT07274241; 2025-11-15. Last human test completed 2026, NCT06049797.

Interpretation These counts include studies where Escitalopram was a comparison treatment, a background treatment or an exposure in an observational study, and the longest window may be a planned end date. Trial roles have not yet been classified for this record.

Show the evidence
  • phase4
    147
  • phase3
    80
  • na
    68
  • phase2
    49
  • phase1
    26
  • na or unstated
    20
2 more recorded rows
  • early phase1
    3
  • Last recorded human test NCT06049797
    2026-05-07

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

From C. elegans to human: where has Escitalopram shown lifespan?


C. elegans: lifespan, mouse: mechanism-only and human: healthspan (375): the rungs where Escitalopram has a recorded finding. Europe PMC and ClinicalTrials.gov · organism ladder · 2026-09-01

Interpretation Hamilton Depression Rating Scale: Stratified by Baseline Frailty — the recorded outcome words.

Yeast C. elegans lifespanDrosophila Mouse mechanism-onlyRat Dog Non-human primate Human healthspan
Show the evidence
  • C. elegans
    lifespan
  • mouse
    mechanism-only
  • human NCT01973283
    healthspan; Hamilton Depression Rating Scale: Stratified by Baseline Frailty; 375

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

43 of Escitalopram's trials stopped: safety, futility/efficacy, accrual/recruitment, funding/business, other?


safety (6), futility/efficacy (1), accrual/recruitment (18), funding/business (4) and other (14): Escitalopram's stop wording, clustered. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

"Mutual agreement between Sponsor and Investigator."; 43 of 375 registered studies

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00227292
    withdrawn; "Mutual agreement between Sponsor and Investigator."
  • NCT00272025
    terminated; "Lundbeck withdrew committment - expiring patents and prolonged inactivity"
  • NCT00387348
    terminated; "DSMB stopped study because placebo arm had more adverse events"
  • NCT00464191
    terminated; "The study has been terminated because too few patients have been recruited"
  • NCT00488670
    terminated; "Dr. Rabheru left VCH last year and the study was cancelled according to his research coordinator."
  • NCT00523705
    terminated; "Enrollment too slow."
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT00642694
    terminated; "Enrollment discontinued based on mutually agreed upon decision by PI and funding sponsor"
  • NCT00643162
    terminated; "Interim analysis indicated recruitment was necessary beyond study capabilities."
  • NCT00660062
    terminated; "Slow inclusion"
  • NCT00754793
    terminated; "poor recruitment"
  • NCT00926835
    terminated; "due to patient recruitment difficulties"
  • NCT00955474
    terminated; "AstraZeneca halted funding; patent expired for Seroquel (Quetiapine) in 2012"
  • NCT00958633
    terminated; "Recruitment was stopped before the planned sample size was reached owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and expiration of funding."
  • NCT01103180
    terminated; "Funding withdrawn due to inability to accrue"
  • NCT01111539
    terminated; "The study was terminated early due to Sponsor decision, closure of this combination therapy program is unrelated to any safety issues, no signals of concern."
  • NCT01111552
    terminated; "The study was terminated early due to Sponsor decision, closure of this combination therapy program is unrelated to any safety issues, no signals of concern."
  • NCT01111565
    terminated; "The study was terminated early due to Sponsor decision, closure of this combination therapy program is unrelated to any safety issues, no signals of concern."
  • NCT01123707
    terminated; "The study was terminated early due to Sponsor decision; no safety issues."
  • NCT01219686
    terminated; "Recruitment difficulties"
  • NCT01244724
    terminated; "Unable to recruit targeted #"

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Human studies of Escitalopram used Escitalopram Oxalate Tablets 20 mg — over how long?


studies of Escitalopram used the recorded amount. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

11 recorded entries; human; also "Escitalopram Oxalate Tablets 20 mg", "Lexapro® Tablets (20 mg", "Lexapro® Tablets 20 mg"

Show the evidence

human

  • NCT00648570
    Escitalopram Oxalate Tablets 20 mg
  • NCT00648570
    Lexapro® Tablets (20 mg
  • NCT00648661
    Lexapro® Tablets 20 mg
  • NCT00807248
    Escitalopram 20 mg
  • NCT00813735
    Escitalopram 10mg or 20mg daily in the AM
  • NCT01628783
    escitalopram 10 mg
5 more recorded rows
  • human NCT01787240
    Escitalopram 10mg
  • human NCT01871701
    Escitalopram 20 mg (Lexapro, Tablet)
  • human NCT02072278
    Escitalopram 15 mg
  • human NCT03652870
    Escitalopram 5mg
  • human NCT03728673
    escitalopram 10mg

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Escitalopram's half-life is about 27 to 32 hours — which schedules were studied?


about 27 to 32 hours, the half-life Escitalopram's label states. openfda-label · 9ddd1f24-3ebd-4307-bb23-6acd742cd140 · 2026-08-27

Show the evidence
  • half life
    about 27 to 32 hours hours; Biotransformation of escitalopram is mainly hepatic, with a mean terminal half-life of about 27-32 hours.
  • metabolism
    Metabolism Escitalopram is metabolized to S-DCT and S-didemethylcitalopram (S-DDCT).

recorded 2026-08-27 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of 17 item hamilton depression rating scale, auc of m1 metabolite of tramadol and bioequivalence did Escitalopram's trials measure?


17 item hamilton depression rating scale, auc of m1 metabolite of tramadol and bioequivalence lead 40 outcome terms across Escitalopram's trials. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

clinical global impressions scale, y bocs scores at 1st and last visit, montgomery asberg depression scale a of 13 or higher, negative symptoms, remission of depression and ham d 17 follow.

Show the evidence
  • hamilton depression scale
    1
  • hamilton rating scale for depression
    1
  • montgomery asberg depression rating scale
    1
  • clinical global impressions scale
    1
  • y bocs scores at 1st and last visit
    1
  • montgomery asberg depression scale a of 13 or higher
    1
14 more recorded rows
  • negative symptoms
    1
  • remission of depression
    1
  • ham d 17
    1
  • pain relief
    1
  • pittsburgh sleep quality index
    1
  • diary sleep efficiency
    1
  • remission
    1
  • global cognitive performance
    1
  • cognitive instrumental activities of daily living
    1
  • recurrence of major depression
    1
  • treatment adherence
    1
  • yale brown obsessive compulsive scale
    1
  • hamilton anxiety rating scale
    1
  • penn state worry questionnaire
    1

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of Escitalopram's 26 ongoing trials reports first?


26 registered trials of Escitalopram are open; earliest completion 2025-05. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

modified- Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study--Clinical Global Impression of Change (mADCS-CGIC); Escitalopram concentration in blood serum (area under curve (AUC)); latest 2030-12-31

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT03108846
    "Escitalopram for Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease"; n 187; "modified- Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study--Clinical Global Impression of Change (mADCS-CGIC)"; 2025-05
  • NCT03460379
    "Bariatric Surgery and Pharmacokinetics of Escitalopram"; n 12; "Escitalopram concentration in blood serum (area under curve (AUC))"; 2026-10
  • NCT03511118
    "Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Commonly Used Drugs in Lactating Women and Breastfed Infants"; n 1600; "M/P ratio"; 2028-07-31
  • NCT03728673
    "A Study Utilizing Escitalopram in Glioma Patients"; n 20; "Change in Cognition"; 2029-06
  • NCT03843463
    "Escitalopram and Language Intervention for Subacute Aphasia"; n 88; "Change in Philadelphia Naming Test short-form accuracy score"; 2027-01-18
  • NCT04336228
    "The Role of Serotonin in Compulsive Behavior in Humans: Underlying Brain Mechanisms"; n 46; "Learning Primary Outcome 1 measured with Probability Reversal Learning test: Mean errors Stage 1 (Learning)"; 2027-12-31
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT04623099
    "Pharmacogenetically-guided Escitalopram Treatment for Pediatric Anxiety: Aiming to Improve Safety and Efficacy (PrEcISE)"; n 132; "Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale severity score"; 2026-12-01
  • NCT05004987
    "Aβ Dynamics in LLMD"; n 60; "Change in Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Aβ40 Biomarker Levels"; 2027-06-30
  • NCT05017311
    "Optimized Predictive Treatment In Medications for Unipolar Major Depression (OPTIMUM-D)"; n 400; "Change in Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores from baseline"; 2029-04-30
  • NCT05480150
    "Chinese Longitudinal and Systematic Study of Bioplar Disorder"; n 10000; "Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale(MADRS)"; 2026-12-31
  • NCT05519683
    "Home Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation (TEA)"; n 160; "Change in abdominal pain/discomfort via daily Visual Analog Scale (VAS) survey"; 2026-09
  • NCT05603104
    "Intensified Pharmacological Treatment for Schizophrenia, Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Depression After a First-time Treatment Failure"; n 1254; "Change in symptom severity"; 2028-06-30
  • NCT05866575
    "Prediction of the Therapeutic Response in Depression Based on Neuro-computational Modeling Assessment of Motivation"; n 136; "Prediction of the therapeutic response (MADRS score) 28 days after the introduction of the antidepressant strategy (V3) based on the early changes (differences between V1 and V2) of the computational phenotype of depressed patients."; 2026-11-12
  • NCT05901571
    "Acupuncture and Escitalopram for Treating Major Depression Clinical Study"; n 216; "HDRS-17 scale"; 2030-02
  • NCT05973786
    "The Effect of a Six Week Intensified Pharmacological Treatment for Bipolar Depression Compared to Treatment as Usual in Subjects Who Had a First-time Treatment Failure on Their First-line Treatment."; n 418; "Comparing the change in symptom severity on Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale"; 2028-06-30
  • NCT06054321
    "Psychopharmacotherapy for Depressive Patients"; n 400; "Remission and treatment response status by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale"; 2030-12-31
  • NCT06216535
    "Escitalopram in Asthma Patients With Frequent Exacerbation"; n 105; "Total number of severe asthma exacerbations"; 2029-06-01
  • NCT06337539
    "Precision Psychiatry for Depression: Immune Response and Affective Symptoms as Predictors of Response to Antidepressants"; n 50; "Treatment Response"; 2027-07-31
  • NCT06692361
    "Assessment of the Efficacy and Safety of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder"; n 214; "The differences in efficacy(HAMD-17 score reduction rate ≥50%) between the two groups"; 2026-12
  • NCT06696482
    "Effort and Antidepressant Study Test"; n 50; "Effort-based decision-making task for self-benefiting and prosocial behaviours: behavioural correlates"; 2025-09

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which 140 trials of Escitalopram posted no result?


Posted no result
140 of 140 completed trials
Registrations
NCT00121069, NCT00222820, NCT00565422, NCT00648570, NCT00648661 and NCT01024140, and 134 more
Completion dates
oldest 2004-09; newest 2024-04-02
Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00121069
    2004-09
  • NCT00222820
    2004-09
  • NCT00565422
    2004-10
  • NCT00648570
    2004-10
  • NCT00648661
    2004-10
  • NCT01024140
    2004-12
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT00156325
    2005-02
  • NCT00073411
    2005-05
  • NCT00148447
    2005-09
  • NCT00115011
    2005-11
  • NCT00223288
    2006-02
  • NCT00206934
    2006-03
  • NCT00109044
    2006-05
  • NCT00108979
    2006-07
  • NCT00157547
    2006-08
  • NCT01148472
    2006-11
  • NCT00260624
    2006-12
  • NCT00305500
    2006-12
  • NCT00116532
    2007-02
  • NCT00162968
    2007-04

At the median, Escitalopram's trials enrolled 80 people — anything larger?


Median enrolment
80
Largest enrolment
3255526
Registered trials counted
373

What do 5783 spontaneous reports say about Escitalopram — and not say?


These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction. Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing. The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete. News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report. A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Escitalopram appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 5783 reaction mentions were counted: drug interaction 821; somnolence 622; suicide attempt 622; electrocardiogram qt prolonged 618. open-targets-adr · CHEMBL1200322 · 2026-06-24

Show the evidence
  • drug interaction
    821
  • somnolence
    622
  • suicide attempt
    622
  • electrocardiogram qt prolonged
    618
  • anxiety
    564
  • depression
    535
4 more recorded rows
  • serotonin syndrome
    532
  • hyponatraemia
    527
  • suicidal ideation
    502
  • tremor
    440

recorded 2026-06-24 · last checked 2026-09-04

Escitalopram and CYP3A4 and CYP2C19: shared by which compounds?


CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 appear in Escitalopram's recorded interaction sentences, 3 in all. openfda-label+europepmc · 2026-08-30

Interpretation pharmacokinetics

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  • CYP2C19 pharmacokinetics
    In vitro studies using human liver microsomes indicated that CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 are the primary isozymes involved in the N-demethylation of escitalopram.

CYP3A4

  • pharmacokinetics
    In vitro studies using human liver microsomes indicated that CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 are the primary isozymes involved in the N-demethylation of escitalopram.
  • pharmacokinetics
    Drug-Drug Interactions In vitro enzyme inhibition data did not reveal an inhibitory effect of escitalopram on CYP3A4, -1A2, -2C9, -2C19, and -2E1.

recorded 2026-08-30 · last checked 2026-09-04

Was Escitalopram studied with fasting and exercise?


fasting and exercise are named in Escitalopram's label sentences: "A randomized, two-way crossover study was conducted in 24 fasting healthy male volunteers of Indian origin to compare the bioavailability of two brands of a fixed dose combination of escitalopram oxalate (CAS 219861-08-2) 10 mg and clonazepam (CAS 1622-61-3) 0.5 mg tablets, using Estomine-zee as…" openfda-label+europepmc · 2026-08-30

2 recorded statements; fasting, exercise

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  • fasting
    A randomized, two-way crossover study was conducted in 24 fasting healthy male volunteers of Indian origin to compare the bioavailability of two brands of a fixed dose combination of escitalopram oxalate (CAS 219861-08-2) 10 mg and clonazepam (CAS 1622-61-3) 0.5 mg tablets, using Estomine-zee as test and a commercially available formulation as the reference product.
  • exercise
    UNWIND was a 12-week randomized clinical trial comparing exercise and escitalopram to placebo on measures of anxiety, depression, and CHD biomarkers.

recorded 2026-08-30 · last checked 2026-09-04

What is recorded about Escitalopram and autophagy?


"Collectively, our cross-species study reveals that escitalopram, contrary to some other SSRIs, accelerates aging through impairment of the evolutionarily conserved IIS/autophagy axis, suggesting its potential pro-aging toxicity with long-term use." — where Escitalopram and autophagy appear together. Europe PMC · pathway abstract search · 2026-03-05

autophagy, mTOR; PMID 41781498, 40849539, 35179776, 24901414

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  • autophagy PMID 41781498
    "Collectively, our cross-species study reveals that escitalopram, contrary to some other SSRIs, accelerates aging through impairment of the evolutionarily conserved IIS/autophagy axis, suggesting its potential pro-aging toxicity with long-term use."
  • mTOR PMID 40849539
    "Methylone's effect on neurite branching was blocked by inhibitors of monoamine transporters (reboxetine, escitalopram, JHW-007) whereas its effects on the length of the longest neurite per cell were mediated by trkB receptors or mTor signaling."
  • autophagy PMID 35179776
    "As such, imipramine, maprotiline, fluoxetine and escitalopram were shown to induce autophagy, whereas nortriptyline, clomipramine and paroxetine were identified as autophagy inhibitors."

mTOR

  • PMID 24901414
    "Increased phospho-mTOR induced by escitalopram, paroxetine or tranylcypromine was significantly blocked in the presence of specific PI3K, MEK or mTOR inhibitors, respectively."
  • PMID 24901414
    "The mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, significantly blocked these effects on escitalopram, paroxetine and tranylcypromine whereas fluoxetine, sertraline and imipramine effects were not affected."

recorded 2026-03-05 · last checked 2026-09-04

Where it is registered
Identifiers, relations and other names

The exact record

ChEMBL id
CHEMBL1200322
PubChem CID
146571
CAS number
219861-08-2
RxCUI
353108
InChIKey
WSEQXVZVJXJVFP-FQEVSTJZSA-N

Relations

Also called
ESCITALOPRAM OXALATE, Citalopram oxalate, (s)-, ssri, CIPRALEX, Esertia, Esitol, LU-26-054, (S)-(+)-CITALOPRAM, S-(+)-CITALOPRAM, SEROPLEX, es-citalopram, esc
Trade name
Lexapro, Lexapro / Cipralex
Development code
LU 26-054-0, LU-26-054-O, NSC-758934
Salt form
Escitalopram Oral Solution
Sources (11)

Sources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov ·
  • ClinicalTrials.gov ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 snapshot 2026-09-01T09:00:05 ·
  • this record's own fields 2,3,5 ·
  • Europe PMC dose-response search ·
  • Europe PMC pathway abstract search ·
  • Europe PMC search ·
5 more sources

ClinicalTrials.gov — US Government work · Europe PMC — metadata only, under the recorded legal gate · Open Targets 26.06 — CC0 · derived from this page's own recorded fields; no external licence · mixed register set; per-register licences in docs/specs/corpus-20k-sources.md · openFDA / DailyMed — US Government work

How these records are assembled · Which registers were checked

Index-quality checks
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  • required summary fields resolved: 5 required field(s) not terminal: Why people use it, Best-supported result, Most important common problem, Biggest unanswered question, Human evidence
  • public claims reviewed: 0 reviewed claim(s); drafts are never rendered
  • source coverage passed: 11 source rows
  • no critical contamination: no quarantine open
  • canonical metadata passed: slug and display name present
  • no raw internal fields: enforced by the copy-contract test over the rendered page

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