Atypical antidepressant

An atypical antidepressant is any antidepressant medication that acts in a manner that is different from that of most other antidepressants.

Atypical antidepressants include:

The agents vilazodone and vortioxetine are partly atypical.

Typical antidepressants include the SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, and MAOIs, which act mainly by increasing the levels of the monoamine neurotransmitters serotonin and/or norepinephrine. Among TCAs, trimipramine is an atypical agent in that it appears not to do this. In August 2020, esketamine (JNJ-54135419) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression with the added indication for the short-term treatment of suicidal thoughts.

Buprenorphine/samidorphan (ALKS-5461) is an antidepressant with a novel mechanism of action which was formerly under development and considered an atypical antidepressant. They act faster than available antidepressants.