The need for new and better
antidepressants: reboxetine a new option

Dencker SJ

Neuropsychiatry Unit,
Institute of Clinical Neurosciences,
Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden.
Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl 2000; 402:6-11

ABSTRACT

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have obtained global attention but have not demonstrated superior efficacy in major depression compared with older tricyclic antidepressants.  From a pharmacological viewpoint the noradrenergic system in the brain appears to have a central role in neurotransmitter organization. The importance of noradrenaline in depression is supported by its association with clinical parameters such as vigilance and drive.  Reboxetine is a selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor--the first in its class to be marketed.  In both preclinical and clinical studies reboxetine has been found to be an effective and safe antidepressant.  Furthermore, reboxetine restores a patients' social functioning, producing a better quality of remission than fluoxetine.

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