Clinical Effects and Serum Levels of Nomifensine in Depressive Patients

Abstract

Twenty depressed out-patients were treated with nomifensine in an open clinical trial of 6 weeks duration. After an initial placebo week the daily doses of nomifensine varied from 50 to 300 mg divided into 2–3 doses. Mean score on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRS) declined from 19·7 to 10·3 at Week 4. At the same time-point morning serum levels of nomifensine varied from less than 8·0 to 196·0 nmol/l. No correlation was found between drug concentrations and clinical outcome or side-effects. There was also a pronounced intra-individual variation in nomifensine serum levels. No tendency for accumulation of the drug was observed. Thus, the measuring of nomifensine trough levels in the morning does not give useful clinical information.