Is viloxazine an antidepressant? A placebo‐controlled double‐blind study in major depressive disorder presenting in a general hospital

Abstract

Abstract Viloxazine was one of the first of the ‘second‐generation’ antidepressants. Its relative lack of cardiotoxic, anticholinergic, sedative and seizure‐inducing adverse effects suggested its use as an antidepressant in general hospitals where tricyclic antidepressants might be frequently contraindicated. We conducted a double‐blind trial of 300 mg viloxazine against placebo in 43 patients with major depressive disorder. The placebo‐treated group showed a slightly, but not significantly, greater improvement in depression scores using observer and self‐rating scales over those using viloxazine. A review of previous placebo‐controlled studies of viloxazine offers little support to its use as an antidepressant.