Tetracyclic antidepressants

Mirtazapine, sold under the brand name Remeron among others, is an atypical tetracyclic antidepressant, and as such is used primarily to treat depression. Its effects may take up to four weeks but can also manifest as early as one to two weeks. It is often used in cases of depression complicated by anxiety or insomnia. The effectiveness of mirtazapine is comparable to other commonly prescribed antidepressants. It is taken by mouth.

Maprotiline, sold under the brand name Ludiomil among others, is a tetracyclic antidepressant (TeCA) that is used in the treatment of depression. It may alternatively be classified as a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA), specifically a secondary amine. In terms of its chemistry and pharmacology, maprotiline is closely related to such-other secondary-amine TCAs as nortriptyline and protriptyline and has similar effects to them, albeit with more distinct anxiolytic effects. Additionally, whereas protriptyline tends to be somewhat more stimulating and in any case is distinctly more-or-less non-sedat

Mianserin, sold as Tolvon and other brand names, is an atypical antidepressant used primarily for treating depression in Europe and other countries. It is a tetracyclic antidepressant (TeCA) and is closely related to mirtazapine in terms of chemical structure, actions, and effects, although mianserin has greater noradrenergic activity and less 5-HT3 receptor antagonism.

Amoxapine, sold under the brand name Asendin among others, is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). It is the N-demethylated metabolite of loxapine. Amoxapine first received marketing approval in the United States in 1980, approximately 10 to 20 years after most of the other TCAs were introduced in the United States.

class of pharmaceutical drugs

Benzoctamine is a drug that possesses sedative and anxiolytic properties. Marketed as Tacitin by Ciba-Geigy, it is different from most sedative drugs because in most clinical trials it does not produce respiratory depression, but actually stimulates the respiratory system. As a result, when compared to other sedative and anxiolytic drugs such as benzodiazepines like diazepam, it is a safer form of tranquilizing. However, when co-administered with other drugs that cause respiratory depression, like morphine, it can cause increased respiratory depression.

Ciclopramine is a tetracyclic antidepressant (TeCA) that was never marketed.

Aptazapine (developmental code name CGS-7525A) is a tetracyclic antidepressant (TeCA) that was assayed in clinical trials for the treatment of depression in the 1980s but was never marketed. It is a potent α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist with about 10 times the strength of the related compound mianserin and has also been shown to act as a 5-HT2 receptor antagonist and H1 receptor inverse agonist, while having no significant effects on the reuptake of serotonin or norepinephrine. Based on its pharmacological profile, aptazapine may be classified as a noradrenergic and specific serotonergic an

Azipramine (TQ-86) is a tetracyclic antidepressant (TeCA) which was synthesized and assayed pharmacologically in animals in 1976, but was never marketed.

Esmirtazapine (ORG-50,081) is a tetracyclic antidepressant drug that was under development by Organon for the treatment of insomnia and vasomotor symptoms (e.g., hot flashes) associated with menopause. Esmirtazapine is the (S)-(+)-enantiomer of mirtazapine and possesses similar overall pharmacology, including inverse agonist actions at H1 and 5-HT2 receptors and antagonist actions at α2-adrenergic receptors.

Naranol (W-5494A) is a drug having a tetracyclic structure. It was synthesized in the late 1960s, and was reported to have antidepressant, anxiolytic, and antipsychotic activities, but was never marketed.

Oxaprotiline (developmental code name C 49-802 BDA), also known as hydroxymaprotiline, is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor belonging to the tetracyclic antidepressant (TeCA) family and is related to maprotiline. Though investigated as an antidepressant, it was never marketed.