ABSTRACT
The standard pharmacological treatment of depression, either tricyclic antidepressants or monoamine oxidase inhibitors, fails completely in 30–40% of patients and does not fully control the symptoms in others. A strong need remains for the development of antidepressant drugs that have greater overall efficacy associated with a more broadly acceptable side-effect profile. At the time a potential antidepressant compound is selected for human testing, certain basic information should be available, including: good characterisation of the potential mechanism of action based on effects on brain neurotransmitters in vitro and in vivo, promising results in animal screens with proven predictability of antidepressant activity in humans, and animal toxicology to support the basic safety of the new compound.
