Reboxetine: the first selective noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor

Several treatment approaches are available for treatment of depression. However, reboxetine is the first selective noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor. Whereas formerly only noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors with a mixed mechanism of action were available. These included action not only at noradrenergic, but also at serotonergic and other neurotransmitter-sites. Thus, reboxetine represents the first of a new class of antidepressant agents with specificity for the noradrenergic system. Reboxetine has been shown to be an effective first-line treatment for patients with all grades of depression, to be effective in the prevention of relapse and recurrence and to offer significant benefits in terms of relieving the impaired social functioning associated with depressive disorders. Reboxetine was significantly superior to the serotonergic compound fluoxetine in improvement of social functioning in both the general depressed population and in those patients who achieved symptomatic remission, indicating a superior quality of remission. Altogether reboxetine was well tolerated during the acute and long-term treatment phase; side-effects such as increased sweating, constipation and dry mouth were the most prominent to be reported. The availability of reboxetine represents a significant addition to the currently available pharmacologic armamentarium for the treatment of depression.