What is "agomelatine"

n. A melatonergic antidepressant.

Agomelatine ( BAN, r INN; trade names Valdoxan, Melitor, Thymanax) is a melatonergic antidepressant developed by the pharmaceutical company Servier. It is marketed for the treatment of major depressive disorder, primarily for its relatively favorable side effect profile: it avoids the weight gain, sexual dysfunction, and severe withdrawal associated with the most commonly used classes of antidepressants ( SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics), while providing similar therapeutic benefit.

Due to its distinctive mechanism of action, agomelatine is also studied for its effects on sleep regulation. Studies report various improvements in general quality of sleep metrics, as well as specific therapeutic benefits in circadian rhythm disorders.