isocarboxazid

Isocarboxazid is a non-selective, irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) of the hydrazine class used primarily as an antidepressant for the treatment of depression, especially in patients who have not responded to other antidepressants[1][2][3][7]. It works by irreversibly inhibiting both monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) and monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B), enzymes responsible for breaking down neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and epinephrine in the brain[5][6][8]. By blocking these enzymes, isocarboxazid increases the levels of these neurotransmitters at synaptic sites throughout the central nervous system. This elevation in biogenic amines underlies its antidepressant effects. Isocarboxazid has also been investigated for use in anxiety disorders, panic disorders, phobias, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and dementia-related disorders[3][7]. Due to significant food and drug interactions—particularly with substances containing tyramine—and risk of hypertensive crisis or serotonin syndrome when combined with certain drugs or foods high in dietary amines, its use has become less common compared to newer classes of antidepressants such as SSRIs[7].

Brand names

Marplan

Other names

isocarboxazidaisocarboxazideisocarboxazidum