Antidepressant effect of Ro 11-1163, a new MAO inhibitor

In an open clinical trial, Ro 11-1163, a newly developed MAO inhibitor, was given to 11 depressed patients, in a flexible dose, for 6 weeks. The clinical effect was measured on the 3rd day and at weekly intervals using the Hamilton and the Beck rating scales for depression and an overall self-assessment. A marked antidepressant effect was observed in almost all cases, which became evident as early as the 2nd day and resulted in complete remission in most patients at the end of the treatment period, with doses ranging between 100 and 400 mg/day. No serious side effects were noted, except for a transient agitation and insomnia. A battery of clinical and laboratory tests also failed to reveal any marked change during treatment. The results suggest that Ro 11-1163 is an effective antidepressant that has to be further evaluated by double-blind clinical trials.