Comparison of efficacy of amoxapine and imipramine in a multi-clinic double-blind study using the WHO schedule for a standard assessment of patients with depressive disorders.

A multi-clinic double-blind controlled study on amoxapine in comparison with imipramine, using the WHO Schedule for a Standard Assessment of Patients with Depressive Disorders, was performed and the data were analyzed with 111 patients. The assessment of severity of illness and overall improvement indicated clearly the superiority of the antidepressive effect of amoxapine to that of imipramine. The onset of antidepressive effect of amoxapine was clearly more rapid than that of imipramine, and in more than half of the patients in the amoxapine group the improvement was seen within four days following the drug administration. Amoxapine was superior to imipramine in terms of safety and usefulness. The side-effects due to amoxapine appeared less frequently and were less serious than with imipramine. The difference between amoxapine and imipramine was especially remarkable for hypotensive effect. The antidepressive effect of amoxaphine was superior to that of imipramine for almost all symptoms and signs. Amoxapine displayed an especially remarkable effect on psychomotor retardation, depressive feeling, anxiety and tension, somatic complaints and sleep disturbance.