Korean J Psychopharmacol.  2009 Nov;20(6):283-292.

Agomelatine: Antidepressant with a New Mechanism of Action

• Moon HJ
• Bahk WM

Abstract

Currently available pharmacotherapies for depression still have a limited antidepressant efficacy with a delayed onset of several weeks, and still cause side effects. These unmet needs represent important reasons to continue to search for novel treatment options. A disorganization of circadian rhythms has been suggested to play an important role in the pathophysiology of major depression. Agomelatine is a new agent with a unique pharmacological profile. Agomelatine is both an agonist of melatonergic MT(1) and MT(2) receptors and a serotonergic 5-HT(2C) receptor antagonist. Many clinical trials have demonstrated the superior efficacy of agomelatine in comparison with placebo in the treatment major depressive disorder at the standard dose of 25 mg/day, with the possibility of increasing doses to 50 mg/day in those patients with insufficient improvement. Agomelatine was even effective in severely depressed patients. The safety and tolerability of agomelatine was comparable to placebo. It does not induce the side effects including serotonin syndrome and sexual dysfunction or discontinuation syndrome typical to other therapies, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These properties give agomelatine a definite clinical advantage in the treatment of depression.

Keyword

Agomelatine; Major depressive disorder; Efficacy; Safety

MeSH Terms

Acetamides
Circadian Rhythm
Depression
Depressive Disorder, Major
Humans
Imidazoles
Nitro Compounds
Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C
Serotonin Syndrome
Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors
Acetamides
Imidazoles
Nitro Compounds
Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C
Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors