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There has been a resurgence of interest in the use of monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzyme inhibitors for the treatment of depression. Unlike the first-generation MAO inhibitors, the current drugs are readily reversible in their action, resulting in far less concern about interactions with certain foods and drugs which could lead to serious pressor effects. Furthermore, the current drugs are far more selective in their actions as a result of the ability to affect either the MAO-A or the MAO-B isoenzyme. Moclobemide is an example of a reversible MAO-A inhibitor which has been extensively studied and whose pharmacokinetic, clinical pharmacological and toxicological profiles have been thoroughly defined. Moclobemide has a short disposition half-life and intermediate values for systemic clearance and volume of distribution; half-life increases somewhat with dose. The drug is completely metabolised by the liver. Moclobemide is rapidly and completely absorbed following oral administration in a variety of dosages and forms. The drug has a high intrinsic (apparent oral) clearance which results in a substantial hepatic first-pass effect and, while there is marked interindividual variation, differences within an individual are small. A time- and dose-dependence is observed with multiple oral administration: clearance decreases with administration during the first week and thereafter remains constant. The exact mechanism of this effect is not known, but it may reflect inhibition of elimination by metabolites (the kinetics may always be described as being first-order). Moclobemide disposition is not affected by renal disease, nor is there substantial alteration with advanced age. Liver disease causes a dramatic reduction in clearance; dosage must be adjusted for patients with liver disease. There is minimal transfer of the drug into breast milk, such that breast-feeding neonates are exposed to only a very small dose of the drug. Moclobemide administration results in a minimal interaction with exogenous amines (e.g. tyramine and pressor amine drugs); the so-called 'cheese effect' is therefore of little concern. As a result, the drug has an excellent tolerability profile both within the therapeutic dose range and in overdose (no deaths have been attributed to moclobemide intoxication per se). Cimetidine inhibits the elimination of moclobemide. Moclobemide appears to affect several isoenzymes of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system (CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP1A2). The adverse events profile of moclobemide indicates only mild and transient effects at a relatively low rate of occurrence.

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The reversible monoamine oxidase A inhibitor moclobemide was given in single (300 mg) and multiple doses (600 mg/day) to 11 male and four female healthy volunteers (age range, 23 to 27) who were either poor metabolizers of S-mephenytoin (n = 7) or extensive metabolizers of S-mephenytoin (n = 8). All were extensive metabolizers of sparteine. Poor metabolizers of S-mephenytoin had lower moclobemide clearance values (median, single dose: 16.1 versus 43.2 L.hr-1; steady state: 13.4 versus 22.1 L.hr-1) and longer moclobemide half-life values (median, single dose: 4.0 versus 1.8 hours; steady state: 5.1 versus 2.7 hours) than extensive metabolizers of S-mephenytoin. The plasma levels of a metabolite formed by C-hydroxylation (Ro 12-8095) were lower in poor metabolizers of S-mephenytoin than in extensive metabolizers of S-mephenytoin. Moclobemide thus partially undergoes oxidative metabolism by way of the polymorphic CYP2C19. A combined mephenytoin, sparteine, and caffeine test performed before, during, and after multiple dosing of moclobemide showed changes in the metabolic indexes compatible with a reversible inhibition of oxidation by way of the corresponding CYP enzymes--CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP1A2--during moclobemide treatment.