Psychotropic effects of ritanserin, a selective S2 antagonist: an open study

The efficacy of the S2-antagonist ritanserin has not yet been clarified satisfactorily. In an open indication finding study to generate new hypotheses concerning its possible therapeutic application carried out in the psychiatric university clinic 25 patients (10 patients with vitalized neurotic depression (ICD No. 296.1), 7 with florid depressively tinged schizophrenia (ICD No. 295.3)) were treated with an average of 15.5 mg/day of ritanserin for a period of 4 weeks. Alterations in the psychopathological findings were documented by means of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and the psychopathological findings (page 4) of the AMDP system. The results suggest that ritanserin improves depressive rather than schizophrenic symptomatology. In 4 of the 7 schizophrenic patients of our study an intensification of the psychotic symptomatology could even be observed. On the basis of our open study findings ritanserin could be classified as a substance with antidepressive effects, with a low incidence of side-effects and a rapid onset of action. In placebo controlled clinical studies this indication should be examined in different patient groups.