A MULTICENTER COMPARATIVE TRIAL OF MOCLOBEMIDE, IMIPRAMINE AND PLACEBO IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

The reversible, selective monoamine oxidase A inhibitor moclobemide (4 50 mg daily) was compared with imipramine (150 mg daily) and placebo i n a multicentre, controlled clinical trial lasting 6 weeks. Two hundre d and forty-nine patients participated, with a major depressive episod e according to DSM-III criteria, and whose initial Hamilton Depression Scale rating (HDRS) was at least 17. Clinical improvement, as determi ned by HDRS, was similar in the three treatment groups: 53 % of the ev aluable patients in the moclobemide group responded (i.e. a 50 % reduc tion in HDRS), compared with 50 % on imipramine and 51 % on placebo. T olerability was least on imipramine, largely due to the high frequency of anticholinergic side effects; moclobemide showed no difference fro m placebo in this respect.