Moclobemide in the treatment of social phobia

Social phobia is a common disorder which is associated with considerable suffering and impairment. Effective treatments have now been developed and they represent an important advance in the management of the disorder. Moclobemide is a reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A (RIMA) which has an established place in the treatment of depression. The efficacy of moclobemide in social phobia has been demonstrated in short-term treatment for up to 12 weeks in three placebo-controlled studies. It has also proved to be effective in long-term treatment in a placebo-controlled study and in open treatment studies. This paper reviews the efficacy of moclobemide in social phobia.