MOCLOBEMIDE AND PLACEBO IN MILD MAJOR DEPRESSION - A DOUBLE-BLIND RANDOMIZED TRIAL

Sixty-eight patients participated in this double-blind randomised study with moclobemide versus placebo (35 allocated to moclobemide; 33 to placebo). In terms of mean HAMD total scores, improvement tended to be more pronounced in the moclobemide group at treatment end-point. Efficacy was judged to be 'very good' or 'good' in 50% of moclobemide-treated patients and in 27% of placebo-treated patients: in completers only, the difference was more marked (69% versus 33%; P < 0.05 Mann-Whitney test). Tolerability was judged to be 'very good' or 'good' in 77% of moclobemide-treated patients and in 94% of placebo-treated patients. Adverse events were observed in 31% of patients in the moclobemide group and in 18% of patients in the placebo group.