Efficacy of amineptine in the prevention
of relapse in unipolar depression
by
Ferreri M, Colonna L, Leger JM
Departement de Psychiatrie
et de Psychologie Medicale,
Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Saint-Antoine,
Paris, France.
Int Clin Psychopharmacol 1997 Jul; 12 Suppl 3:S39-45

ABSTRACT

The clinical properties of amineptine, a mainly dopaminergic antidepressant, were assessed in a double-blind controlled study involving patients fulfilling Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) criteria for unipolar depression. The aim was to determine how relapses could be prevented in this frequently recessing disorder. The study was a two-phase, 12-month, multicentre trial of patients suffering from major depression or dysthymia, diagnosed using DSM-III criteria and evaluated on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Mood, Anxiety, Retardation, Danger scale. Phase I was an open-label 3-month period, with the patients being given 200 mg amineptine per day. The second, 9-month period was a placebo-controlled prophylactic phase. A total of 458 patients were initially included in the study. Of the 376 who completed phase I, 303 (66%) were responders; 284 entered the prophylactic study, randomly assigned to two groups. Of the 134 patients in the placebo group who completed phase II, 25 (18.7%) suffered a relapse, compared with nine out of the 136 (6.6%) in the amineptine group. After resolution of an acute episode of major depression or dysthymia, long-term antidepressant therapy with amineptine significantly reduced the relapse rate.

Efficacy
Structure
Metabolism
Early onset
Comparisons
Pharmacology
Pharmacokinetics
Amineptine excess
Amineptine and sex
Mesolimbic dopamine
Amineptine and smart mice
Amineptine and smarter dogs
Dopamine, opioids and learned helplessness

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