Mirtazapine (Remeron / Organon) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1996 for the treatment of depression. Structurally unrelated to any antidepressants currently available in the United States, it is a tetracyclic piperazinoazepine and is an analog of mianserin (available outside the U.S.). Mechanism of Action Mirtazapine (Remeron) appears to exert its antidepressant effect in a unique way. It blocks central presynaptic alpha2-adrenergic receptors, which results in ... Read More

The first of a new class of antidepressants - the alpha2-receptor antagonists - has received FDA approval for the treatment of depression. Mirtazapine (Remeron / Akzo Nobel, Organon) is a long-acting tetracyclic compound unrelated to the tricyclic antidepressants. It is a potent antagonist of central pre- and post-synaptic alpha2-adrenergic receptors and also serotonin (5-HT2 and 5-HT3) and histamine ... Read More