MOCLOBEMIDE AND NORTRIPTYLINE IN ELDERLY DEPRESSED-PATIENTS - A RANDOMIZED, MULTICENTER TRIAL AGAINST PLACEBO

Moclobemide and nortriptyline were compared with placebo in a double-b lind randomized multinational (Canada, Denmark and UK) trial comprisin g 109 patients of > 60 years of age with major depression (DSM-III-R). Patients were randomized to 7 weeks of treatment with doses of 400 mg /day moclobemide, 75 mg/day nortriptyline or placebo. It was necessary to adjust nortriptyline dosage in < 20% of patients to maintain serum levels within the postulated therapeutic window of 50-170 ng/ml. At e nd of treatment, the remission rates were 23% for moclobemide, 33% for nortriptyline and 11% for placebo. Anticholinergic and orthostatic ev ents occurred more often with patients on nortriptyline than either mo clobemide or placebo.