The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reportedly disapproved GlaxoSmithKline Plc's antidepressant gepirone ER for use in adults with major depression.

The United Kingdom-based company said the FDA labeled the drug as "not approvable" and it cannot be cleared for marketing in the U.S.

About 14.8 million Americans annually suffer from major depression, which is a leading cause of disability for adults in the country.

The FDA disapproval is a big blow to the world's second-largest pharmaceutical company, which is working to replace revenues lost due to medicines whose patents have already lapsed.