Discontinuation of Manufacture of Isocarboxazid-Reply

Abstract

In Reply. —Roche has received a number of inquiries about isocarboxazid, an antidepressant that was discontinued in December 1993. Prior to that, for more than 30 years, isocarboxazid had been prescribed for certain types of depression. At the time it was discontinued, isocarboxazid was not being used extensively. Moreover, Roche believed that new depression therapies, which had been introduced to the marketplace, were capable of treating the types of depression formerly treated by isocarboxazid. With these considerations in mind, Roche management made a decision to discontinue production of isocarboxazid. A decision was also made to make a small supply of isocarboxazid available to those patients, who, during a transition period to a new medication, might need to be eased off isocarboxazid and onto another antidepressant. Since then, we have received a number of inquiries from physicians and patients about the continued availability of the product, and as a result, we