N-Phenyl Indoline Derivatives-a New Class of Antidepressant Agents

THE discovery in 1957 of the therapeutic effect of imipramine in endogenous depression 1 stimulated a search for other substances with similar properties, and several drugs which are structurally closely related to imipramine, known collectively as the tricyclic antidepressants, have become available 2 . The spectrum of antidepressant effects of these drugs is fairly uniform, although some possess tranquillizing activity, which is useful for treating patients whose depression is complicated by agitation 3,4 . But these substances have side effects which stem partly from anticholinergic and antihistaminic properties 5 . In the past 5 yr attempts have been made to depart from the tricyclic structures, and antidepressant activity has been claimed for iprindole 6 , IN 1060 (ref. 7), thiazesim 8 and other compounds, but it is too early to assess their place in the therapy of depression.