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Mirtazapine
Selected AbstractsCombination of low-dose mirtazapine and ibuprofen for prophylaxis of chronic tension-type headacheEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 2 2007L. Bendtsen Chronic headaches are difficult to treat and represent the biggest challenge in headache centres. Mirtazapine has a prophylactic and ibuprofen an acute effect in tension-type headache. Combination therapy may increase efficacy and lower side effects. We aimed to evaluate the prophylactic effect of a combination of low-dose mirtazapine and ibuprofen in chronic tension-type headache. Ninety-three patients were included in the double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial. Following a 4-week run-in period they were randomized to four groups for treatment with a combination of mirtazapine 4.5 mg and ibuprofen 400 mg, placebo, mirtazapine 4.5 mg or ibuprofen 400 mg daily for 8 weeks. Eighty-four patients completed the study. The primary efficacy parameter, change in area under the headache curve from run-in to the last 4 weeks of treatment, did not differ between combination therapy (190) and placebo (219), P = 0.85. Explanatory analyses revealed worsening of headache already in the third week of treatment with ibuprofen alone. In conclusion, the combination of low-dose mirtazapine and ibuprofen is not effective for the treatment of chronic tension-type headache. Moreover, the study suggests that daily intake of ibuprofen worsens headache already after few weeks in chronic tension-type headache. [source] Mirtazapine enhances frontocortical dopaminergic and corticolimbic adrenergic, but not serotonergic, transmission by blockade of ,2 -adrenergic and serotonin2C receptors: a comparison with citalopramEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2000M. J. Millan Abstract Mirtazapine displayed marked affinity for cloned, human ,2A -adrenergic (AR) receptors at which it blocked noradrenaline (NA)-induced stimulation of guanosine-5,-O-(3-[35S]thio)-triphosphate ([35S]-GTP,S) binding. Similarly, mirtazapine showed high affinity for cloned, human serotonin (5-HT)2C receptors at which it abolished 5-HT-induced phosphoinositide generation. Alpha2 -AR antagonist properties were revealed in vivo by blockade of UK-14,304-induced antinociception, while antagonist actions at 5-HT2C receptors were demonstrated by blockade of Ro 60 0175-induced penile erections and discriminative stimulus properties. Mirtazapine showed negligible affinity for 5-HT reuptake sites, in contrast to the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, citalopram. In freely moving rats, in the dorsal hippocampus, frontal cortex (FCX), nucleus accumbens and striatum, citalopram increased dialysate levels of 5-HT, but not dopamine (DA) and NA. On the contrary, mirtazapine markedly elevated dialysate levels of NA and, in FCX, DA, whereas 5-HT was not affected. Citalopram inhibited the firing rate of serotonergic neurons in dorsal raphe nucleus, but not of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area, nor adrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus. Mirtazapine, in contrast, enhanced the firing rate of dopaminergic and adrenergic, but not serotonergic, neurons. Following 2 weeks administration, the facilitatory influence of mirtazapine upon dialysate levels of DA and NA versus 5-HT in FCX was maintained, and the influence of citalopram upon FCX levels of 5-HT versus DA and NA was also unchanged. Moreover, citalopram still inhibited, and mirtazapine still failed to influence, dorsal raphe serotonergic neurons. In conclusion, in contrast to citalopram, mirtazapine reinforces frontocortical dopaminergic and corticolimbic adrenergic, but not serotonergic, transmission. These actions reflect antagonist properties at ,2A -AR and 5-HT2C receptors. [source] Asymmetric Synthesis of (S)-Mirtazapine: Unexpected Racemization through an Aromatic ipso -Attack MechanismEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 17 2008Marco van der Linden Abstract An asymmetric synthesis of (S)-mirtazapine has been achieved from the synthesis of the racemate by using (S)-1-methyl-3-phenylpiperazine as the starting material. Unfortunately, significant racemization was encountered in the final step, which involved an electrophilic aromatic ring closure of a alcohol by concentrated sulfuric acid. A significantly higher ee was observed when polyphosphoric acid (PPA) was used instead. A remarkable correlation between the amount of PPA used and the ee of the product was revealed, namely, an increase in the ee upon decreasing the amount of PPA. This trend was paralleled by the formation of an increasing amount of a side-product upon lowering the amount of PPA. The racemization and formation of a side-product can be explained by an ipso -attack mechanism during the electrophilic aromatic ring-closure reaction. This mechanism was supported by a mechanistic study using a deuterium-labeled substrate.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008) [source] A placebo controlled investigation into the effects of paroxetine and mirtazapine on measures related to car driving performanceHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 4 2003F. Ridout Abstract Objective To assess the effects of paroxetine and mirtazapine on psychometric performance related to car driving, including an on-the-road test of BRT. Method In a 4-way, double blind randomised crossover study, 12 healthy volunteers received paroxetine 20,mg mane, mirtazapine 15,mg/30,mg nocte (comparator), mirtazapine 15,mg mane/15,mg b.i.d.(verum) and placebo over a 5 day period with a washout period of 7 days between treatments. Psychometric assessments included ,on-the-road' BRT (BRT), CFF (CFF), CRT (CRT) and subjective measures of sedation and sleep parameters. Results Paroxetine had no significant effect on BRT compared with placebo. Although subjective ratings of sleep quality and sedation were impaired, there were significant improvements in both CFF and the recognition reaction component of CRT with paroxetine. Mirtazapine 15,mg/30,mg nocte impaired laboratory performance and some subjective tests. Mirtazapine 15 mg mane/15,mg b.i.d. improved sleep, but significantly impaired all other measures. Conclusion Paroxetine 20,mg/day has no psychomotor or behavioural toxicity and has no negative impact on BRT. Further research into the chronic and sub-chronic effects of mirtazapine is needed to establish the clinical significance of these results. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An overview of the clinical efficacy of mirtazapineHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue S1 2002O. Benkert Abstract Mirtazapine is at least as effective as the tricyclic antidepressants and trazodone in a wide range of patient subgroups including in- and out-patients with moderate to severe depression. It also appears to be at least as effective as the serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine in the treatment of severely depressed melancholic patients. When compared with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), mirtazapine shows a significantly earlier onset of action. Further analysis of a study comparing mirtazapine with the SSRI paroxetine indicated that early improvement was a highly sensitive predictor of later stable response for both drugs. The positive predictive value of an early improvement was significantly higher during mirtazapine treatment compared with paroxetine. The negative predictive value approached maximum values as early as week 2 with mirtazapine and week 3 with paroxetine. This suggests that the predictability of the response to treatment is better with mirtazapine than with paroxetine. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mirtazapine and paroxetine: a drug-drug interaction study in healthy subjectsHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 6 2001F. J. L. Ruwe Abstract Paroxetine inhibits cytochrome P450 2D6, which is involved in the metabolism of mirtazapine. The possible drug-drug interaction between two pharmacologically distinct antidepressants, mirtazapine and paroxetine, has been investigated in a randomized, three-way crossover study in 24 healthy male and female subjects. After a titration phase of 3 days, each subject received single daily doses of 30,mg mirtazapine, 40,mg paroxetine or the combination for 6 days. Assessments included serial blood sampling for pharmacokinetics at steady state, cognitive testing using the test battery of CDR Ltd, a visual analogue mood rating scale (Bond and Lader) and the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire. Paroxetine inhibits the metabolism of mirtazapine, as shown by increases of approximately 17% and 25% of the 24,h AUC's of mirtazapine and its demethyl metabolite, respectively. Mirtazapine did not alter the pharmacokinetics of paroxetine. The combined administration of mirtazapine and paroxetine probably does not alter cognitive functioning or result in major changes on the visual analogue mood rating scale and Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire, compared with the administration of either drug alone. The incidence of adverse events was lower during combined administration of mirtazapine and paroxetine than during administration of either drug alone. Fatigue, dizziness, headache, nausea, anxiety and somnolence were the most common adverse events during combined administration. These data suggest that the combination of mirtazapine and paroxetine is unlikely to lead to clinically relevant drug-drug interactions and can be used without dose adjustment of either drug. The combination may even be better tolerated than either drug alone. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Weight Change in Depressed Nursing Home Patients on MirtazapineJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 8 2002Richard J. Goldberg MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Enantiomeric separation of mirtazapine and its metabolites by nano-liquid chromatography with UV-absorption and mass spectrometric detectionJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 14 2005Salvatore Fanali Abstract Mirtazapine (MIR) and two of its main metabolites, namely, 8-hydroxymirtazapine and N -desmethylmirtazapine, were separated in totheir enantiomers by nanoLC in a laboratory-made fused-silica capillary column (75 ,m ID) packed with a vancomycin-modified silica stationary phase. The simultaneous separation of the three couples of the studied enantiomers was achieved in less than 33 min, using an experimentally optimized mobile phase delivered in the isocratic mode. Optimization of the mobile-phase composition was achieved by testing the influence of the buffer pH and concentration, the water concentration, the organic modifier type and concentration, and on the retention and resolution of the analytes. The optimum mobile-phase composition contained 500 mM ammonium acetate pH 4.5/water/MeOH/MeCN, 1 : 14 : 40 : 45 v/v/v/v. Using a UV detector at 205 nm, the method was validated studying several experimental parameters such as LOD and LOQ, intraday and interday repeatability, and linearity. Good results were achieved: LOD and LOQ were in the range 5,15 and 10,40 ,g/mL, respectively (the highest value was obtained for the DEMIR enantiomers); correlation coefficients, 0.9993,0.9999; the intraday and interday precision was acceptable (RSD < 2%) using an internal standard. The method was tested for the separation of the studied enantiomers in an extracted (solid-phase) serum sample spiked with standard racemic mixture of MIR and its two metabolites. Finally, the nanoLC system was connected to a mass spectrometer through a nanoelectrospray interface and the MS, MS2, and MS3 spectra were acquired showing the potential of the system used for characterization and identification of the separated analytes. [source] Effectiveness of mirtazapine for nausea and insomnia in cancer patients with depressionPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 1 2008Sung-Wan Kim md Aims:, The purpose of the present paper was to evaluate the effectiveness of mirtazapine orally disintegrating tablets for nausea and sleep disturbance, which are common and distressing symptoms of cancer. Methods:, This was a 4-week, prospective, open-labeled study of cancer patients. Assessments were performed at baseline and on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 28. Primary outcome measures were the Clinical Global Impression scale for nausea/vomiting and the Chonnam National University Hospital,Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire (C-LSEQ) including total amount of night sleep time. The secondary outcome measures consisted of pain items in the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, the Montgomery,Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and the EuroQoL (EQ)-5D. Forty-two cancer patients were enrolled. Results:, Those with nausea (n = 28) improved significantly from day 1. The total night sleep time and each item on the C-LSEQ improved from days 1,5. The scores on the MADRS and the depression/anxiety dimension and visual analog scale of EQ-5D improved significantly from the first week. Pain measures also improved from day 1. Exacerbation of sleepiness developed in approximately one-third of subjects during the initial few days, but disappeared gradually. Conclusion:, In the present study mirtazapine rapidly improved nausea, sleep disturbance, pain and quality of life, as well as depression in cancer patients. Mirtazapine may be an effective treatment option in managing cancer patients with multiple distressing symptoms, including nausea and sleep disturbance. [source] Mirtazapine induced nightmares in an adult maleBRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Amit Dang No abstract is available for this article. [source] Mirtazapine: only for depression?ACTA NEUROPSYCHIATRICA, Issue 3-4 2006Luis San Background:, Mirtazapine is an antidepressant first approved in the Netherlands in 1994 for the treatment of major depressive disorder. However, evidence suggests its effectiveness in a variety of other psychiatric disorders and non-psychiatric medical conditions. Objective:, The present paper reviews the published literature on the off-label indications of Mirtazapine. Methods:, A search of the relevant literature from MEDLINE, PsycLIT and EMBASE databases, included in the Science Citation Index and available up to March 2006, was conducted using the terms mirtazapine, case-reports, open-label trials and randomized controlled trials. Only articles referring to conditions other than major depression were included in this present review. Results:, Off-label use of mirtazapine has been reported in panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, dysthymia, menopausal depression, poststroke depression, depression as a result of infection with human immunodeficiency virus, elderly depression, Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-induced depression, hot flashes, alcohol and other substance use disorders, sleep disorders, sexual disorders, tension-type headaches, cancer pain, fibromyalgia, schizophrenia and other less frequent conditions. Conclusions:, So far, data on the off-label usefulness of mirtazapine are limited and mainly based on observations from case reports or open-label studies. However, positive cues suggest that confirmation of these preliminary data with randomized controlled trials may give sufficient evidence to warrant the use of mirtazapine in a broad range of disorders. [source] Improved Synthesis of Mirtazapine (VI).CHEMINFORM, Issue 48 2007D. V. N. Srinivasa Rao Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF. [source] A placebo-controlled trial of mirtazapine for the management of methamphetamine withdrawalDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 3 2008CHRISTOPHER C. CRUICKSHANK Abstract Introduction and Aims. As an antidepressant with sedative and anxiolytic properties, mirtazapine may be an appropriate pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine withdrawal. This study sought to examine whether mirtazapine improves retention and alleviates methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms in an out-patient setting. Design and Methods. An out-patient double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial of mirtazapine for the treatment of methamphetamine withdrawal was conducted (15 mg nocte for 2 days, 30 mg nocte for 12 days). Both groups were offered narrative therapy counselling. Measures recorded on days 0, 3, 7, 14 and 35 included: treatment retention, Amphetamine Cessation Symptoms Assessment, the Athens Insomnia Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Depression,Anxiety,Stress Scale (DASS), Severity of Dependence scale and the Opiate Treatment Index Drug Use subscale. Results. Thirty-one participants were recruited (18 placebo, 13 mirtazapine) and 52% completed the 2-week medication phase. No significant differences between the mirtazapine and placebo groups in retention, or any symptom measure were observed, except greater DASS,anxiety and longer sleep duration were measured at baseline among the mirtazapine group. Discussion and Conclusions. Results suggest that mirtazapine does not facilitate retention or recruitment in out-patient methamphetamine withdrawal treatment, although recruitment may have been insufficient to identify a significant treatment effect. The potential role of narrative therapy for methamphetamine dependent patients deserves further exploration. [source] Advances in the enantioseparation of second-generation antidepressant drugs by electrodriven methodsELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 1 2006Roberto Mandrioli Abstract Stereochemistry is steadily increasing in importance in the development of new drugs, and the availability of pure enantiomer drugs can make therapy safer and more efficacious. In particular, almost all second-generation antidepressant drugs possess one or more chiral centres; however, only some of them are administered as single enantiomers. A fundamental part of the quality control of pharmaceutical formulations is the determination of enantiomeric excess and enantiomeric purity; this is also important for the therapeutic drug monitoring of depressed patients. For this purpose, efficient and reliable analytical methods are needed and electrodriven techniques (most of all CE, CEC and MEKC) are very efficient and inexpensive candidates for the role. In this review, the enantioselective electrodriven methods available for the analysis of second-generation antidepressant are presented and discussed. In particular, the following pharmacological classes of antidepressants will be considered: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, citalopram, paroxetine, sertraline); norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (reboxetine); serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (venlafaxine, milnacipran, duloxetine); and noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants (mirtazapine). [source] Combination of low-dose mirtazapine and ibuprofen for prophylaxis of chronic tension-type headacheEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 2 2007L. Bendtsen Chronic headaches are difficult to treat and represent the biggest challenge in headache centres. Mirtazapine has a prophylactic and ibuprofen an acute effect in tension-type headache. Combination therapy may increase efficacy and lower side effects. We aimed to evaluate the prophylactic effect of a combination of low-dose mirtazapine and ibuprofen in chronic tension-type headache. Ninety-three patients were included in the double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial. Following a 4-week run-in period they were randomized to four groups for treatment with a combination of mirtazapine 4.5 mg and ibuprofen 400 mg, placebo, mirtazapine 4.5 mg or ibuprofen 400 mg daily for 8 weeks. Eighty-four patients completed the study. The primary efficacy parameter, change in area under the headache curve from run-in to the last 4 weeks of treatment, did not differ between combination therapy (190) and placebo (219), P = 0.85. Explanatory analyses revealed worsening of headache already in the third week of treatment with ibuprofen alone. In conclusion, the combination of low-dose mirtazapine and ibuprofen is not effective for the treatment of chronic tension-type headache. Moreover, the study suggests that daily intake of ibuprofen worsens headache already after few weeks in chronic tension-type headache. [source] Mirtazapine enhances frontocortical dopaminergic and corticolimbic adrenergic, but not serotonergic, transmission by blockade of ,2 -adrenergic and serotonin2C receptors: a comparison with citalopramEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2000M. J. Millan Abstract Mirtazapine displayed marked affinity for cloned, human ,2A -adrenergic (AR) receptors at which it blocked noradrenaline (NA)-induced stimulation of guanosine-5,-O-(3-[35S]thio)-triphosphate ([35S]-GTP,S) binding. Similarly, mirtazapine showed high affinity for cloned, human serotonin (5-HT)2C receptors at which it abolished 5-HT-induced phosphoinositide generation. Alpha2 -AR antagonist properties were revealed in vivo by blockade of UK-14,304-induced antinociception, while antagonist actions at 5-HT2C receptors were demonstrated by blockade of Ro 60 0175-induced penile erections and discriminative stimulus properties. Mirtazapine showed negligible affinity for 5-HT reuptake sites, in contrast to the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, citalopram. In freely moving rats, in the dorsal hippocampus, frontal cortex (FCX), nucleus accumbens and striatum, citalopram increased dialysate levels of 5-HT, but not dopamine (DA) and NA. On the contrary, mirtazapine markedly elevated dialysate levels of NA and, in FCX, DA, whereas 5-HT was not affected. Citalopram inhibited the firing rate of serotonergic neurons in dorsal raphe nucleus, but not of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area, nor adrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus. Mirtazapine, in contrast, enhanced the firing rate of dopaminergic and adrenergic, but not serotonergic, neurons. Following 2 weeks administration, the facilitatory influence of mirtazapine upon dialysate levels of DA and NA versus 5-HT in FCX was maintained, and the influence of citalopram upon FCX levels of 5-HT versus DA and NA was also unchanged. Moreover, citalopram still inhibited, and mirtazapine still failed to influence, dorsal raphe serotonergic neurons. In conclusion, in contrast to citalopram, mirtazapine reinforces frontocortical dopaminergic and corticolimbic adrenergic, but not serotonergic, transmission. These actions reflect antagonist properties at ,2A -AR and 5-HT2C receptors. [source] Asymmetric Synthesis of (S)-Mirtazapine: Unexpected Racemization through an Aromatic ipso -Attack MechanismEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 17 2008Marco van der Linden Abstract An asymmetric synthesis of (S)-mirtazapine has been achieved from the synthesis of the racemate by using (S)-1-methyl-3-phenylpiperazine as the starting material. Unfortunately, significant racemization was encountered in the final step, which involved an electrophilic aromatic ring closure of a alcohol by concentrated sulfuric acid. A significantly higher ee was observed when polyphosphoric acid (PPA) was used instead. A remarkable correlation between the amount of PPA used and the ee of the product was revealed, namely, an increase in the ee upon decreasing the amount of PPA. This trend was paralleled by the formation of an increasing amount of a side-product upon lowering the amount of PPA. The racemization and formation of a side-product can be explained by an ipso -attack mechanism during the electrophilic aromatic ring-closure reaction. This mechanism was supported by a mechanistic study using a deuterium-labeled substrate.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008) [source] Metabolic drug interactions with new psychotropic agentsFUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 5 2003Edoardo Spina Abstract New psychotropic drugs introduced in clinical practice in recent years include new antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and ,third generation' antidepressants, and atypical antipsychotics, i.e. clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone and amisulpride. These agents are extensively metabolized in the liver by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes and are therefore susceptible to metabolically based drug interactions with other psychotropic medications or with compounds used for the treatment of concomitant somatic illnesses. New antidepressants differ in their potential for metabolic drug interactions. Fluoxetine and paroxetine are potent inhibitors of CYP2D6, fluvoxamine markedly inhibits CYP1A2 and CYP2C19, while nefazodone is a potent inhibitor of CYP3A4. These antidepressants may be involved in clinically significant interactions when coadministered with substrates of these isoforms, especially those with a narrow therapeutic index. Other new antidepressants including sertraline, citalopram, venlafaxine, mirtazapine and reboxetine are weak in vitro inhibitors of the different CYP isoforms and appear to have less propensity for important metabolic interactions. The new atypical antipsychotics do not affect significantly the activity of CYP isoenzymes and are not expected to impair the elimination of other medications. Conversely, coadministration of inhibitors or inducers of the CYP isoenzymes involved in metabolism of the various antipsychotic compounds may alter their plasma concentrations, possibly leading to clinically significant effects. The potential for metabolically based drug interactions of any new psychotropic agent may be anticipated on the basis of knowledge about the CYP enzymes responsible for its metabolism and about its effect on the activity of these enzymes. This information is essential for rational prescribing and may guide selection of an appropriate compound which is less likely to interact with already taken medication(s). [source] Mirtazapine naturalistic depression study (in Sweden),MINDS(S): clinical efficacy and safetyHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 3 2006Jan Wålinder Abstract Objective To study how implementation of a naturalistic trial design for mirtazapine treatment in major depressive disorder for six (up to 12) months could be used and evaluated by means of clinical efficacy and safety. Method An open-labelled, prospective, multicenter, non-comparative trial was conducted during a 2-year period in patients with major depression according to DSM-IV treated in psychiatric departments and primary care in Sweden. Minimal inclusion and exclusion criteria were used in order to diminish the potential patient selection bias. Maximum flexibility of the dosage of mirtazapine was allowed, and clinical assessments included MADRS, CGI, vital signs and spontaneous reporting of adverse events. Results 192 patients were found eligible and enrolled in the study. A significant improvement in depressive symptoms according to MADRS and CGI was observed including particularly marked sleep improvement early in the treatment. Slight increases in body weight and BMI were observed. The investigational drug was well tolerated overall. Conclusion The clinical efficacy and safety of mirtazapine found in this naturalistic setting is in line with previously reported data on mirtazapine in traditional controlled clinical trials. The results confirm that the naturalistic study design facilitated conduct of the trial. The authors suggest that this type of study design should also be applied to other antidepressant drugs that are frequently prescribed in the general population. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A placebo controlled investigation into the effects of paroxetine and mirtazapine on measures related to car driving performanceHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 4 2003F. Ridout Abstract Objective To assess the effects of paroxetine and mirtazapine on psychometric performance related to car driving, including an on-the-road test of BRT. Method In a 4-way, double blind randomised crossover study, 12 healthy volunteers received paroxetine 20,mg mane, mirtazapine 15,mg/30,mg nocte (comparator), mirtazapine 15,mg mane/15,mg b.i.d.(verum) and placebo over a 5 day period with a washout period of 7 days between treatments. Psychometric assessments included ,on-the-road' BRT (BRT), CFF (CFF), CRT (CRT) and subjective measures of sedation and sleep parameters. Results Paroxetine had no significant effect on BRT compared with placebo. Although subjective ratings of sleep quality and sedation were impaired, there were significant improvements in both CFF and the recognition reaction component of CRT with paroxetine. Mirtazapine 15,mg/30,mg nocte impaired laboratory performance and some subjective tests. Mirtazapine 15 mg mane/15,mg b.i.d. improved sleep, but significantly impaired all other measures. Conclusion Paroxetine 20,mg/day has no psychomotor or behavioural toxicity and has no negative impact on BRT. Further research into the chronic and sub-chronic effects of mirtazapine is needed to establish the clinical significance of these results. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Pharmacological principles of antidepressant efficacyHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue S1 2002Alan F. Schatzberg Abstract Both noradrenaline (NA) and serotonin (5-HT) appear to be involved in depression. Evidence suggests that dual-acting antidepressants, i.e. those that affect both monoamine systems, such as tricyclic antidepressants and the noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant mirtazapine, may have greater efficacy and a faster onset of action than drugs that act on a single monoamine system only, such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Cell firing is reduced by SSRIs in the short-term, but is increased by mirtazapine, probably due to its actions on both NA (via ,2 antagonism) and 5-HT (via ,1 -stimulation by NA). This may help to explain clinical evidence suggesting that mirtazapine has a faster onset of action than the more selective antidepressants. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An overview of the clinical efficacy of mirtazapineHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue S1 2002O. Benkert Abstract Mirtazapine is at least as effective as the tricyclic antidepressants and trazodone in a wide range of patient subgroups including in- and out-patients with moderate to severe depression. It also appears to be at least as effective as the serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine in the treatment of severely depressed melancholic patients. When compared with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), mirtazapine shows a significantly earlier onset of action. Further analysis of a study comparing mirtazapine with the SSRI paroxetine indicated that early improvement was a highly sensitive predictor of later stable response for both drugs. The positive predictive value of an early improvement was significantly higher during mirtazapine treatment compared with paroxetine. The negative predictive value approached maximum values as early as week 2 with mirtazapine and week 3 with paroxetine. This suggests that the predictability of the response to treatment is better with mirtazapine than with paroxetine. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Onset of action of antidepressants: results of different analysesHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue S1 2002Chris Thompson Abstract Because the value of antidepressants is hampered by their delay in onset of action, considerable attention has been focused on developing a drug that acts more rapidly. However, although specific studies are now ongoing, there have been no peer-reviewed prospective onset of action trials published in the literature to date. Some data are currently available from post-hoc pooled analyses and numerous methods have been developed for evaluating the onset of action; these include the time to response, the time to onset of therapeutic effect, pattern analysis and survival analyses. Such an analysis of four large-scale, double-blind studies has provided evidence for an earlier onset of action with mirtazapine than with the SSRIs (fluoxetine, paroxetine and citalopram). Significant differences were seen between mirtazapine and the SSRIs after 1 week of treatment. This effect was consistent across the four different methodologies and appears to be due to a specific antidepressant effect rather than an early effect on, for example, sleep. These findings await confirmation from specifically designed prospective onset of action studies. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Enantiomeric antidepressant drugs should be considered on individual meritHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue S2 2001Pierre Baumann Abstract Many antidepressants have been introduced as racemic drugs, the enantiomers of which may differ in some of their pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties. This review argues that each enantiomer of a chiral antidepressant should be evaluated according to its individual characteristics rather than by extrapolation from the racemate, or by assumptions based on the stereoselective characteristics of other enantiomeric drugs. For example, in some cases the enantiomers' pharmacodynamic and therapeutic properties can be complementary, which suggests that the racemate should be used clinically. In other cases where enantiomers show qualitatively similar but quantitatively different properties to the racemate, using a single enantiomer might be more appropriate. In yet further cases, a distomer may induce the metabolism of the eutomer, enantiomers may be metabolised by different enzymes, there may be a different profile of drug,drug interactions, and therapeutic drug monitoring may be simpler. Therefore, this review exemplifies the principle that each enantiomer of a chiral antidepressant should be evaluated according to its individual pharmacological, pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenetic characteristics. These factors are discussed in relation to five chiral antidepressants: trimipramine, mianserin, mirtazapine, fluoxetine and citalopram. It is hoped that an appreciation of the stereoselective differences between enantiomers will facilitate improvements in the benefit:risk ratio of drugs used in the management of depression. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mirtazapine and paroxetine: a drug-drug interaction study in healthy subjectsHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 6 2001F. J. L. Ruwe Abstract Paroxetine inhibits cytochrome P450 2D6, which is involved in the metabolism of mirtazapine. The possible drug-drug interaction between two pharmacologically distinct antidepressants, mirtazapine and paroxetine, has been investigated in a randomized, three-way crossover study in 24 healthy male and female subjects. After a titration phase of 3 days, each subject received single daily doses of 30,mg mirtazapine, 40,mg paroxetine or the combination for 6 days. Assessments included serial blood sampling for pharmacokinetics at steady state, cognitive testing using the test battery of CDR Ltd, a visual analogue mood rating scale (Bond and Lader) and the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire. Paroxetine inhibits the metabolism of mirtazapine, as shown by increases of approximately 17% and 25% of the 24,h AUC's of mirtazapine and its demethyl metabolite, respectively. Mirtazapine did not alter the pharmacokinetics of paroxetine. The combined administration of mirtazapine and paroxetine probably does not alter cognitive functioning or result in major changes on the visual analogue mood rating scale and Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire, compared with the administration of either drug alone. The incidence of adverse events was lower during combined administration of mirtazapine and paroxetine than during administration of either drug alone. Fatigue, dizziness, headache, nausea, anxiety and somnolence were the most common adverse events during combined administration. These data suggest that the combination of mirtazapine and paroxetine is unlikely to lead to clinically relevant drug-drug interactions and can be used without dose adjustment of either drug. The combination may even be better tolerated than either drug alone. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Inhibition and possible induction of rat CYP2D after short- and long-term treatment with antidepressantsJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 11 2002Wladys, awa A. Daniel The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of tricyclic antidepressants (imipramine, amitriptyline, clomipramine, desipramine), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs: fluoxetine, sertraline) and novel antidepressant drugs (mirtazapine, nefazodone) on the activity of CYP2D, measured as a rate of ethylmorphine O -deethylation. The reaction was studied in control liver microsomes in the presence of the antidepressants, as well as in microsomes of rats treated intraperitoneally for one day or two weeks (twice a day) with pharmacological doses of the drugs (imipramine, amitriptyline, clomipramine, nefazodone 10 mg kg,1 i.p.; desipramine, fluoxetine, sertraline 5 mg kg,1 i.p.; mirtazapine 3 mg kg,1 i.p.), in the absence of the antidepressants in-vitro. Antidepressants decreased the activity of the rat CYP2D by competitive inhibition of the enzyme, the potency of their inhibitory effect being as follows: clomipramine (Ki = 14 ,M) > sertraline , fluoxetine (Ki = 17 and 16 ,M, respectively) > imipramine , amitriptyline (Ki = 26 and 25 ,M, respectively) > desipramine (Ki = 44 ,M) > nefazodone (Ki = 55 ,M) > mirtazapine (Ki = 107 ,M). A one-day treatment with antidepressants caused a significant decrease in the CYP2D activity after imipramine, fluoxetine and sertraline. After prolonged administration of antidepressants, the decreased CYP2D activity produced by imipramine, fluoxetine and sertraline was still maintained. Moreover, amitriptyline and nefazodone significantly decreased, while mirtazapine increased the activity of the enzyme. Desipramine and clomipramine did not produce any effect when administered in-vivo. The obtained results indicate three different mechanisms of the antidepressants-CYP2D interaction: firstly, competitive inhibition of CYP2D shown in-vitro, the inhibitory effects of tricyclic antidepressants and SSRIs being stronger than those of novel drugs; secondly, in-vivo inhibition of CYP2D produced by both one-day and chronic treatment with tricyclic antidepressants (except for desipramine and clomipramine) and SSRIs, which suggests inactivation of the enzyme apoprotein by reactive metabolites; and thirdly, in-vivo inhibition by nefazodone and induction by mirtazapine of CYP2D produced only by chronic treatment with the drugs, which suggests their influence on the enzyme regulation. [source] Enantioselective analysis of mirtazapine, demethylmirtazapine and 8-hydroxy mirtazapine in human urine after solid-phase microextractionJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 2 2010Fernando José Malagueño de Santana Abstract A selective and reproducible off-line solid-phase microextraction procedure was developed for the simultaneous enantioselective determination of mirtazapine (MRT), demethylmirtazapine and 8-hydroxymirtazapine in human urine. CE was used for optimization of the extraction procedure whereas LC-MS was used for method validation and application. The influence of important factors in the solid-phase microextraction efficiency is discussed, such as the fiber coatings, extraction time, pH, ionic strength, temperature and desorption time. Before extraction, human urine samples were submitted to enzymatic hydrolysis at 37°C for 16,h. Then, the enzyme was precipitated with trichloroacetic acid and the pH was adjusted to 8 with 1,mol/L pH 11 phosphate buffer solution. In the extraction, the analytes were transferred from the aqueous solution to the polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene fiber coating and then desorbed in methanol. The mean recoveries were 5.4, 1.7 and 1.0% for MRT, demethylmirtazapine and 8-hydroxymirtazapine enantiomers, respectively. The method was linear over the concentration range of 62,1250,ng/mL. The within-day and between-day assay precision and accuracy were lower than 15%. The method was successfully employed in a preliminary cumulative urinary excretion study after administration of racemic MRT to a healthy volunteer. [source] Enantiomeric separation of mirtazapine and its metabolites by nano-liquid chromatography with UV-absorption and mass spectrometric detectionJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 14 2005Salvatore Fanali Abstract Mirtazapine (MIR) and two of its main metabolites, namely, 8-hydroxymirtazapine and N -desmethylmirtazapine, were separated in totheir enantiomers by nanoLC in a laboratory-made fused-silica capillary column (75 ,m ID) packed with a vancomycin-modified silica stationary phase. The simultaneous separation of the three couples of the studied enantiomers was achieved in less than 33 min, using an experimentally optimized mobile phase delivered in the isocratic mode. Optimization of the mobile-phase composition was achieved by testing the influence of the buffer pH and concentration, the water concentration, the organic modifier type and concentration, and on the retention and resolution of the analytes. The optimum mobile-phase composition contained 500 mM ammonium acetate pH 4.5/water/MeOH/MeCN, 1 : 14 : 40 : 45 v/v/v/v. Using a UV detector at 205 nm, the method was validated studying several experimental parameters such as LOD and LOQ, intraday and interday repeatability, and linearity. Good results were achieved: LOD and LOQ were in the range 5,15 and 10,40 ,g/mL, respectively (the highest value was obtained for the DEMIR enantiomers); correlation coefficients, 0.9993,0.9999; the intraday and interday precision was acceptable (RSD < 2%) using an internal standard. The method was tested for the separation of the studied enantiomers in an extracted (solid-phase) serum sample spiked with standard racemic mixture of MIR and its two metabolites. Finally, the nanoLC system was connected to a mass spectrometer through a nanoelectrospray interface and the MS, MS2, and MS3 spectra were acquired showing the potential of the system used for characterization and identification of the separated analytes. [source] Stevens,Johnson syndrome due to mirtazapine , first caseALLERGY, Issue 10 2009A. Belkahia No abstract is available for this article. [source] Acute reversible dyskinesia induced by mirtazapineMOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 6 2005Spiros Konitsiotis MD [source] |