The preclinical discovery and development of agomelatine for the treatment of depression.

There is now evidence supporting the clinical efficacy and safety profile of agomelatine in the acute-phase treatment of MDD. Agomelatine may be more effective in specific subgroups of MDD patients, those with severe anxiety symptoms or disturbed circadian profiles. Its antidepressant and anxiolytic activities are due to synergy between its melatonergic and 5-hydroxytryptaminergic effects. Since its discovery, novel compounds acting on the melatonergic system have been under investigation for the treatment of MDD.