Recently, according to the NMPA (National Medical Products Administration) announcement, Zhejiang Jiangbei Pharmaceutical's trazodone hydrochloride tablets have been approved for marketing, making it the 15th company to receive approval for this product. The addition of a new competitor to an established product reflects not just a simple accumulation of approvals, but rather a rapidly accelerating, crowded race in the field of psychotropic drugs.

Trazodone hydrochloride tablets, an atypical antidepressant, belong to the phenylpiperazine and triazolidine derivative class and are second-generation antidepressants of the 5-HT2 antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI) class. Developed by Angelini Pharma in Italy, trazodone hydrochloride tablets are both an effective antidepressant and a good sedative-hypnotic, especially suitable for depressed patients with anxiety or sleep disorders. It was first approved for marketing in Italy on October 15, 1971, and entered the Chinese market in 2000. The market competition for trazodone hydrochloride tablets is increasingly fierce. To date, more than 10 companies have obtained production licenses for this product, with Shenyang Funing being the first to pass the consistency evaluation.

The market also provides a very real reason for this competition. According to data from Yaozhi, sales of trazodone hydrochloride tablets exceeded 664 million yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 34%. This kind of growth will attract more companies to fill the gap, while also making existing companies more willing to invest resources to seize distribution channels.

Despite the fierce competition, the market logic supporting this battle remains robust. The Chinese antidepressant market has already reached the 10 billion yuan mark and is projected to reach 11 billion yuan by 2026. Driven by an aging population, increasing social pressure, and growing awareness of mental health, depression is transforming from a "hidden disease" into a clear medical expense. Notably, the trazodone market is evolving from ordinary tablets to extended-release tablets. In 2024, sales of trazodone hydrochloride extended-release tablets reached 88.72 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of over 276%, far exceeding the growth rate of ordinary tablets. Shenzhen Fanggu Pharmaceutical obtained the first generic approval for extended-release tablets in September 2025, followed by 15 other companies, including Harbin Sanlian, which have submitted applications. This dosage form upgrade may be key to breaking the deadlock.

For Jiangbei Pharmaceutical, if it can achieve breakthroughs in sustained-release technology or new indications (such as nightmare disorder and improvement of sexual dysfunction), it may be able to avoid the red ocean of ordinary tablets and open up a second growth curve.