Efficacy and tolerability of agomelatine in the treatment of depression

Depression is a severe and usually recurrent mental disorder which often leads to a significant impairment of everyday functioning, a reduced quality of life, and also great suffering of the patients. The treatment of a depressive disorder is not only limited to acute treatment; it also requires prolonged management. Patient compliance is of utmost importance. Unpleasant adverse effects and their impact on everyday living often lead to a premature discontinuation of antidepressant treatment and result in an unfavorable treatment outcome. The new antidepressant agomelatine, a melatonergic MT1/MT2 agonist and 5-HT2C receptor antagonist, has exhibited good antidepressant efficacy in acute, short-term, and long-term treatment. The adverse effect profile of agomelatine has been proven to be favorable and comparable to placebo, which is very important for good treatment compliance and adherence.