Efficacy of nomifensine in different depressive syndromes.

Results from 11 independent double-blind placebo controlled studies of nomifensine were analyzed to assess the efficacy of the active drug vs. placebo in four depressive subtypes classified by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale profiles. Substantial nomifensine-placebo differences were seen in the anxious, suicidal, and vegetative subtypes; high rates of placebo response in the somatizing subtype resulted in nonsignificant treatment effects. Differing responses to antidepressant drugs based on phenomenologic subtypes of depression appear to merit further investigation.