Moclobemide and sertraline in the treatment of depressive disorders: a comparative study

The efficacy and tolerability of moclobemide and sertraline were compared in a 13 week trial on 55 depressive patients. Patients were diagnosed according to DSM-III-R criteria using SCID (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R). The study group was composed of 48 patients with major depression and 7 with minor depression. Patients were randomized in two drug groups and raters were blind to the drugs patients used. HDRS and CGI were used to assess the change in depressive symptoms. Twenty seven patients received moclobemide and 28 patients received sertraline. The dose of moclobemide used was 300-600 mg/day and that of sertraline was 50-200 mg/day. At the end of 13 weeks mean drop in HDRS for the overall group was 14.78 and the response rate calculated as percentage of patients showing a 50% drop in HDRS score was 77.8. The response rate was 76.5% for moclobemide and 78.5% for sertraline. The difference was not significant. The side effects were assessed by using UKU Side Effects Rating Scale. The most three observed side effects were dry mouth, headache and insomnia.