title: Reboxetine: a preliminary report on its use through the Special Access Program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the effectiveness and tolerability of reboxetine under Special Access Program conditions in Canada in a group of patients with refractory depressive disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective open-label study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six clinical academic settings in Canada, primarily tertiary institutional settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six female and 19 male outpatients with depressive disorders, primarily unipolar depression. Most of the patients were treatment resistant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reboxetine through the Special Access Program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Severity of depression before treatment with reboxetine was retrospectively assessed with the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Global Severity Scale; change with treatment was evaluated with the CGI Global Improvement Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before reboxetine treatment, 20 (44%) patients scored in the moderate CGI severity category, 11 (24%) in the marked category and 12 (27%) in the severe category. The dose range for reboxetine was 2-16 mg, with 40 (89%) patients in the 4-10 mg range. With reboxetine treatment, 25 (56%) patients were considered "very much improved" or "much improved"; 8 (18%) patients were "minimally improved"; 7 (16%) received ratings that reflected "no change" or minimal worsening, and 5 (11%) were rated as "much worse" or "very much worse."
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reboxetine was effective at a clinically meaningful level in decreasing severity of depression in 56% of patients. Given the high rate of prior resistance to other antidepressant therapies, there is a definite role for this agent in the treatment of depressive disorders.
authors.affiliation: University Health Network, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. sidney.kennedy@uhn.on.ca
authors.forename: Sidney H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Raymond W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Nicole L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenbluth
authors.forename: Stephen T H
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Sokolov
authors.forename: Roger S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chue
authors.forename: Gerry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Craigen
mesh_terms: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002170:Canada; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009025:Morpholines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D000077593:Reboxetine; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D009025:Morpholines; D000077593:Reboxetine