1,311
Views
31
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Drug Evaluations

Review of the use of mirtazapine in the treatment of depression

, MD & , MBBS FRCP
Pages 1623-1632 | Published online: 06 Jun 2011

Bibliography

  • Available from: http://www.who.int/mental_health/management/depression/definition/en/print.html
  • Blazer DG, Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Swartz MS. The prevalence and distribution of major depression in a national community sample: the National Comorbidity Survey. Am J Psychiatry 1994;151(10):979-86
  • Moussavi S, Chatterji S, Verdes E, Depression, chronic diseases, and decrements in health: results from the World Health Surveys. Lancet 2007;370(9590):851-8
  • Noel PH, Williams JW Jr, Unutzer J, Depression and comorbid illness in elderly primary care patients: impact on multiple domains of health status and well-being. Ann Fam Med 2004;2(6):555-62
  • Ciechanowski PS, Katon WJ, Russo JE. Depression and diabetes: impact of depressive symptoms on adherence, function, and costs. Arch Intern Med 2000;160(21):3278-85
  • Gartlehner G HR, Thieda P, DeVeaugh-Geiss AM, Comparative effectiveness of second-generation antidepressants in the pharmacologic treatment of adult depression. Comparative Effectiveness Review No. 7. (Prepared by RTI International-University of North Carolina Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No.290-02-0016.) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD; 2007
  • Cipriani A, Furukawa TA, Salanti G, Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 12 new-generation antidepressants: a multiple-treatments meta-analysis. Lancet 2009;373(9665):746-58
  • Available from: https://www.spfiles.com/piremeronsoltab.pdf [January 2011]
  • Delbressine LP, Moonen ME, Kaspersen FM, Pharmacokinetics and biotransformation of mirtazapine in human volunteers. Clin Drug Invest 1998;15(1):45-55
  • de Boer TH, Maura G, Raiteri M, Neurochemical and autonomic pharmacological profiles of the 6-aza-analogue of mianserin, Org 3770 and its enantiomers. Neuropharmacology 1988;27(4):399-408
  • De Boer T, Nefkens F, Van Helvoirt A. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist Org 3770 enhances serotonin transmission in vivo. Eur J Pharmacol 1994;253(1-2):R5-6
  • de Boer TH, Nefkens F, van Helvoirt A, van Delft AM. Differences in modulation of noradrenergic and serotonergic transmission by the alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonists, mirtazapine, mianserin and idazoxan. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1996;277(2):852-60
  • Haddjeri N, Blier P, de Montigny C. Acute and long-term actions of the antidepressant drug mirtazapine on central 5-HT neurotransmission. J Affect Disord 1998;51(3):255-66
  • Devoto P, Flore G, Pira L, Mirtazapine-induced corelease of dopamine and noradrenaline from noradrenergic neurons in the medial prefrontal and occipital cortex. Eur J Pharmacol 2004;487(1-3):105-11
  • Winokur A, Sateia MJ, Hayes JB, Acute effects of mirtazapine on sleep continuity and sleep architecture in depressed patients: a pilot study. Biol Psychiatry 2000;48(1):75-8
  • Schittecatte M, Dumont F, Machowski R, Effects of mirtazapine on sleep polygraphic variables in major depression. Neuropsychobiology 2002;46(4):197-201
  • de Boer T. The pharmacologic profile of mirtazapine. J Clin Psychiatry 1996;57( Suppl 4):19-25
  • Rawlings NB, Norbury R, Cowen PJ, Harmer CJ. A single dose of mirtazapine modulates neural responses to emotional faces in healthy people. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2010;212(4):625-34
  • Arnone D, Horder J, Cowen PJ, Harmer CJ. Early effects of mirtazapine on emotional processing. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2009;203(4):685-91
  • Tulner DM, Smith OR, Schins A, Antidepressive effect of mirtazapine in post-myocardial infarction depression is associated with soluble TNF-R1 increase: data from the MIND-IT. Neuropsychobiology 2011;63(3):169-76
  • van der Heuvel MW, Kleijn HJ, Peeters PAM. Bioequivalence trial of orally disintegrating mirtazapine tablets and conventional oral mirtazapine tablets in healthy volunteers. Clin Drug Invest 2001;21:437-42
  • Timmer CJ, Sitsen JM, Delbressine LP. Clinical pharmacokinetics of mirtazapine. Clin Pharmacokinet 2000;38(6):461-74
  • Cohen M, Panagides J, Timmer CJ, Huisman JA. Pharmacokinetics of mirtazapine from orally administered tablets: influence of a high-fat meal. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet 1997;22(2):103-10
  • Timmer CJ, Lohmann AAM, Mink CPA. Pharmacokinetic dose-proportionality study at steady state of mirtazapine from Remeron® tablets. Hum Psychopharmacol Clin Exp 2004;10(Suppl 2):S97-106
  • Owen JR, Nemeroff CB. New antidepressants and the cytochrome P450 system: focus on venlafaxine, nefazodone, and mirtazapine. Depress Anxiety 1998;7( Suppl 1):24-32
  • Lind AB, Reis M, Bengtsson F, Steady-state concentrations of mirtazapine, N-desmethylmirtazapine, 8-hydroxymirtazapine and their enantiomers in relation to cytochrome P450 2D6 genotype, age and smoking behaviour. Clin Pharmacokinet 2009;48(1):63-70
  • Mirtazapine (marketed as Remeron) Information: FDA. Available from: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm109344.htm
  • Behnke K, Sogaard J, Martin S, Mirtazapine orally disintegrating tablet versus sertraline: a prospective onset of action study. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2003;23(4):358-64
  • Benkert O, Szegedi A, Philipp M, Mirtazapine orally disintegrating tablets versus venlafaxine extended release: a double-blind, randomized multicenter trial comparing the onset of antidepressant response in patients with major depressive disorder. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2006;26(1):75-8
  • Navarro V. Improving medication compliance in patients with depression: use of orodispersible tablets. Adv Ther 2010;27(11):785-95
  • Delini-Stula A, van Oers H, van Willigenburg A, Treating depression with different galenical drug formulations: Does it make a difference? The comparison of mirtazapine fast dissolving formulation (FDT) with conventional mirtazapine tablets (CT). Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2009;13:109-16
  • Nutt DJ. Efficacy of mirtazapine in clinically relevant subgroups of depressed patients. Depress Anxiety 1998;7( Suppl 1):7-10
  • Kasper S. Clinical efficacy of mirtazapine: a review of meta-analyses of pooled data. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 1995;10( Suppl 4):25-35
  • Stahl S, Zivkov M, Reimitz PE, Meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, efficacy and safety studies of mirtazapine versus amitriptyline in major depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl 1997;391:22-30
  • Watanabe N, Omori IM, Nakagawa A, Mirtazapine versus other antidepressants in the acute-phase treatment of adults with major depression: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Psychiatry 2008;69(9):1404-15
  • Bruijn JA, Moleman P, Mulder PG, A double-blind, fixed blood-level study comparing mirtazapine with imipramine in depressed in-patients. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1996;127(3):231-7
  • Wheatley DP, van Moffaert M, Timmerman L, Kremer CM. Mirtazapine: efficacy and tolerability in comparison with fluoxetine in patients with moderate to severe major depressive disorder. Mirtazapine-Fluoxetine Study Group. J Clin Psychiatry 1998;59(6):306-12
  • Thase ME, Nierenberg AA, Vrijland P, Remission with mirtazapine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a meta-analysis of individual patient data from 15 controlled trials of acute phase treatment of major depression. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 2010;25(4):189-98
  • Trivedi MH, Rush AJ, Wisniewski SR, Evaluation of outcomes with citalopram for depression using measurement-based care in STAR*D: implications for clinical practice. Am J Psychiatry 2006;163(1):28-40
  • McGrath PJ, Stewart JW, Fava M, Tranylcypromine versus venlafaxine plus mirtazapine following three failed antidepressant medication trials for depression: a STAR*D report. Am J Psychiatry 2006;163(9):1531-41; quiz 666
  • Fava M, Dunner DL, Greist JH, Efficacy and safety of mirtazapine in major depressive disorder patients after SSRI treatment failure: an open-label trial. J Clin Psychiatry 2001;62(6):413-20
  • Fava M, Rush AJ, Wisniewski SR, A comparison of mirtazapine and nortriptyline following two consecutive failed medication treatments for depressed outpatients: a STAR*D report. Am J Psychiatry 2006;163(7):1161-72
  • Carpenter LL, Jocic Z, Hall JM, Mirtazapine augmentation in the treatment of refractory depression. J Clin Psychiatry 1999;60(1):45-9
  • Blier P, Ward HE, Tremblay P, Combination of antidepressant medications from treatment initiation for major depressive disorder: a double-blind randomized study. Am J Psychiatry 2009;167(3):281-8
  • Hazell P. Depression in children and adolescents. Evid Based Mental Health 2003;6:103-4
  • Depression in Children and Young People. Available from: http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/10970/29859/29859.pdf [Cited 20 January 2011]
  • Roose SP, Nelson JC, Salzman C, Open-label study of mirtazapine orally disintegrating tablets in depressed patients in the nursing home. Curr Med Res Opin 2003;19(8):737-46
  • Nelson JC, Hollander SB, Betzel J, Smolen P. Mirtazapine orally disintegrating tablets in depressed nursing home residents 85 years of age and older. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2006;21(9):898-901
  • Gardner ME, Malone DC, Sey M, Babington MA. Mirtazapine is associated with less anxiolytic use among elderly depressed patients in long-term care facilities. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2004;5(2):101-6
  • Schatzberg AF, Kremer C, Rodrigues HE, Murphy GM Jr. Double-blind, randomized comparison of mirtazapine and paroxetine in elderly depressed patients. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2002;10(5):541-50
  • Raji MA, Brady SR. Mirtazapine for treatment of depression and comorbidities in Alzheimer disease. Ann Pharmacother 2001;35(9):1024-7
  • Gambi F, De Berardis D, Campanella D, Mirtazapine treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a fixed dose, open label study. J Psychopharmacol 2005;19(5):483-7
  • Alderman CP, Condon JT, Gilbert AL. An open-label study of mirtazapine as treatment for combat-related PTSD. Ann Pharmacother 2009;43(7):1220-6
  • Davidson JR, Weisler RH, Butterfield MI, Mirtazapine vs. placebo in posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot trial. Biol Psychiatry 2003;53(2):188-91
  • Chung MY, Min KH, Jun YJ, Efficacy and tolerability of mirtazapine and sertraline in Korean veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized open label trial. Hum Psychopharmacol 2004;19(7):489-94
  • Sarchiapone M, Amore M, De Risio S, Mirtazapine in the treatment of panic disorder: an open-label trial. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 2003;18(1):35-8
  • Ribeiro L, Busnello JV, Kauer-Sant'Anna M, Mirtazapine versus fluoxetine in the treatment of panic disorder. Braz J Med Biol Res 2001;34(10):1303-7
  • Schutters SI, Van Megen HJ, Van Veen JF, Mirtazapine in generalized social anxiety disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 2010;25(5):302-4
  • Mrakotsky C, Masek B, Biederman J, Prospective open-label pilot trial of mirtazapine in children and adolescents with social phobia. J Anxiety Disord 2008;22(1):88-97
  • Muehlbacher M, Nickel MK, Nickel C, Mirtazapine treatment of social phobia in women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2005;25(6):580-3
  • Van Veen JF, Van Vliet IM, Westenberg HG. Mirtazapine in social anxiety disorder: a pilot study. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 2002;17(6):315-17
  • Marshall NS, Yee BJ, Desai AV, Two randomized placebo-controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of mirtazapine for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep 2008;31(6):824-31
  • Carley DW, Olopade C, Ruigt GS, Radulovacki M. Efficacy of mirtazapine in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Sleep 2007;30(1):35-41
  • Winokur A, DeMartinis NA III, McNally DP, Comparative effects of mirtazapine and fluoxetine on sleep physiology measures in patients with major depression and insomnia. J Clin Psychiatry 2003;64(10):1224-9
  • Kim SW, Shin IS, Kim JM, Effectiveness of mirtazapine for nausea and insomnia in cancer patients with depression. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2008;62(1):75-83
  • Hieber R, Dellenbaugh T, Nelson LA. Role of mirtazapine in the treatment of antipsychotic-induced akathisia. Ann Pharmacother 2008;42(6):841-6
  • Poyurovsky M, Pashinian A, Weizman R, Low-dose mirtazapine: a new option in the treatment of antipsychotic-induced akathisia. A randomized, double-blind, placebo- and propranolol-controlled trial. Biol Psychiatry 2006;59(11):1071-7
  • Poyurovsky M, Epshtein S, Fuchs C, Efficacy of low-dose mirtazapine in neuroleptic-induced akathisia: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled pilot study. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2003;23(3):305-8
  • Terevnikov V, Stenberg JH, Joffe M, More evidence on additive antipsychotic effect of adjunctive mirtazapine in schizophrenia: an extension phase of a randomized controlled trial. Hum Psychopharmacol 2010;25(6):431-8
  • Abbasi SH, Behpournia H, Ghoreshi A, The effect of mirtazapine add on therapy to risperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Schizophr Res 2010;116(2-3):101-6
  • Stenberg JH, Terevnikov V, Joffe M, Effects of add-on mirtazapine on neurocognition in schizophrenia: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2010;13(4):433-41
  • Berk M, Gama CS, Sundram S, Mirtazapine add-on therapy in the treatment of schizophrenia with atypical antipsychotics: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Hum Psychopharmacol 2009;24(3):233-8
  • Varia I, Venkataraman S, Hellegers C, Effect of mirtazapine orally disintegrating tablets on health-related quality of life in elderly depressed patients with comorbid medical disorders: a pilot study. Psychopharmacol Bull 2007;40(1):47-56
  • van Melle JP, de Jonge P, Honig A, Effects of antidepressant treatment following myocardial infarction. Br J Psychiatry 2007;190:460-6
  • de Jonge P, Honig A, van Melle JP, Nonresponse to treatment for depression following myocardial infarction: association with subsequent cardiac events. Am J Psychiatry 2007;164(9):1371-8
  • Bendtsen L, Buchgreitz L, Ashina S, Jensen R. Combination of low-dose mirtazapine and ibuprofen for prophylaxis of chronic tension-type headache. Eur J Neurol 2007;14(2):187-93
  • Bendtsen L, Jensen R. Mirtazapine is effective in the prophylactic treatment of chronic tension-type headache. Neurology 2004;62(10):1706-11
  • Riechelmann RP, Burman D, Tannock IF, Phase II trial of mirtazapine for cancer-related cachexia and anorexia. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2010;27(2):106-10
  • Kim SW, Shin IS, Kim JM, Mirtazapine for severe gastroparesis unresponsive to conventional prokinetic treatment. Psychosomatics 2006;47(5):440-2
  • Davis MP, Frandsen JL, Walsh D, Mirtazapine for pruritus. J Pain Symptom Manage 2003;25(3):288-91
  • Hundley JL, Yosipovitch G. Mirtazapine for reducing nocturnal itch in patients with chronic pruritus: a pilot study. J Am Acad Dermatol 2004;50(6):889-91
  • Thomas SG. Irritable bowel syndrome and mirtazapine. Am J Psychiatry 2000;157(8):1341-2
  • Watanabe N, Omori IM, Nakagawa A, Safety reporting and adverse-event profile of mirtazapine described in randomized controlled trials in comparison with other classes of antidepressants in the acute-phase treatment of adults with depression: systematic review and meta-analysis. CNS Drugs 2010;24(1):35-53
  • Fawcett J, Barkin RL. Review of the results from clinical studies on the efficacy, safety and tolerability of mirtazapine for the treatment of patients with major depression. J Affect Disord 1998;51(3):267-85
  • Serretti A, Mandelli L. Antidepressants and body weight: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis. J Clin Psychiatry 2010;71(10):1259-72
  • Kasper S, Montgomery SA, Moller HJ, Longitudinal analysis of the suicidal behaviour risk in short-term placebo-controlled studies of mirtazapine in major depressive disorder. World J Biol Psychiatry 2010;11(1):36-44
  • Gibbons RD, Hur K, Bhaumik DK, Mann JJ. The relationship between antidepressant medication use and rate of suicide. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2005;62(2):165-72
  • Gibbons RD, Brown CH, Hur K, Relationship between antidepressants and suicide attempts: an analysis of the Veterans Health Administration data sets. Am J Psychiatry 2007;164(7):1044-9
  • Hirschfeld RM. Care of the sexually active depressed patient. J Clin Psychiatry 1999;60( Suppl 17):32-5; discussion 46-8
  • Boyarsky BK, Haque W, Rouleau MR, Hirschfeld RM. Sexual functioning in depressed outpatients taking mirtazapine. Depress Anxiety 1999;9(4):175-9
  • Koutouvidis N, Pratikakis M, Fotiadou A. The use of mirtazapine in a group of 11 patients following poor compliance to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment due to sexual dysfunction. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 1999;14(4):253-5
  • Lee KU, Lee YM, Nam JM, Antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction among newer antidepressants in a naturalistic setting. Psychiatry Invest 2010;7(1):55-9
  • Shen J, Moller HJ, Wang X, Mirtazapine, a sedating antidepressant, and improved driving safety in patients with major depressive disorder: a prospective, randomized trial of 28 patients. J Clin Psychiatry 2009;70(3):370-7
  • Thase ME. Antidepressant treatment of the depressed patient with insomnia. J Clin Psychiatry 1999;60( Suppl 17):28-31; discussion 46-8
  • Civalier KA, Krahn LE, Agrwal N. Repeated episodes of neutropenia triggered by mirtazapine. Psychosomatics 2009;50(3):299-300
  • Khan AY, Golewale MH, Kahn DA. A case of chronic drug-induced neutropenia. J Psychiatr Pract 2008;14(4):246-50
  • Available from: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00561574
  • Ersoy MA, Noyan AM, Elbi H. An open-label long-term naturalistic study of mirtazapine treatment for depression in cancer patients. Clin Drug Investig 2008;28(2):113-20
  • Bremner JD. “A double-blind comparison of Org 3770, amitriptyline, and placebo in major depression”. J Clin Psychiatry 1995;56(11):519-25
  • Claghorn JL, Lesem MD. “A double-blind placebo-controlled study of Org 3770 in depressed outpatients”. J Affect Disord 1995;34(3):165-71
  • Smith WT, Glaudin V, Panagides J, Gilvary E. “Mirtazapine vs. amitriptyline vs. placebo in the treatment of major depressive disorder”. Psychopharmacol Bull 1990;26(2):191-6
  • Halikas JA. “Org 3770 (mirtazapine) versus trazodone: a placebo controlled trial in depressed elderly patients”. Hum Psychopharmacol Clin Exp 1995;10:S125-33
  • Khan MC. “A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 5-weeks' study of Org 3770 (Mirtazapine) in major depression?”. Hum Psychopharmacol 1995;10:S119-24

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.