Antidepressant efficacy and tolerability of the selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor reboxetine: a review
by
Burrows GD, Maguire KP, Norman TR
Department of Psychiatry,
University of Melbourne,
Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
J Clin Psychiatry 1998; 59 Suppl 14:4-7

ABSTRACT

Reboxetine is a unique selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (NRI) with proven antidepressant efficacy in pharmacologic and biochemical tests predictive of antidepressant properties. Comprehensive clinical trials, including 8 placebo-controlled and/or active treatment-controlled studies, plus 4 open studies, have assessed the short-term and long-term efficacy and tolerability of reboxetine in patients with major depressive disorders and dysthymia. Results from a total of 690 patients who entered 5 open or placebo-controlled studies are summarized in this paper. Four hundred forty-nine patients with a diagnosis of either major depressive disorder or dysthymia were treated with reboxetine in these clinical studies of 4 weeks' to 12 months' duration. In a 6-week placebo-controlled study, clinically significant improvement (> or = 50% reduction in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression total score) was observed at last assessment in 74% of reboxetine-treated patients compared with 20% of patients in the placebo group. Similar results were observed in the 6-week run-in phases of the 3 long-term studies, where the efficacy of reboxetine was maintained over the 12-month study period. Reboxetine was well tolerated; adverse events reported were mainly mild to moderate in severity, and there were no clinically significant changes in vital signs or laboratory parameters. The first in its class, reboxetine, a selective NRI, will provide a valuable addition to the existing armamentarium of agents used in the treatment of depression.

Trials
Selectivity
Reboxetine
Reboxetine and the rat
Reboxetine: product info
Reboxetine and the elderly
Reboxetine versus fluoxetine
Noradrenergic antidepressants
Reboxetine and major depression
Depression: catecholaminergic strategies
Noradrenaline, anxiety and mood disorders
Efficacy and tolerability in routine clinical practice

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