Nomifensine
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| Trade names | Merital, Alival |
| Routes of administration | By mouth |
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| Pharmacokinetic data | |
| Elimination half-life | 1.5–4 hours |
| Excretion | Kidney (88%) within 24 hours |
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| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C16H18N2 |
| Molar mass | 238.334 g·mol−1 |
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Nomifensine, formerly sold under the brand names Merital and Alival, is a norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) drug that was developed in the 1960s by Hoechst AG (now Sanofi-Aventis), who then test marketed it in the United States.
Nomifensine was considered an effective antidepressant that lacked sedative effects. It did not interact significantly with alcohol and lacked anticholinergic effects. No withdrawal symptoms were seen after 6 months treatment. The drug was, however, considered not suitable for agitated patients as it presumably made agitation worse. In January 1986 the drug was withdrawn by its manufacturers for safety reasons.
Some case reports in the 1980s suggested that there was potential for psychological dependence on nomifensine, typically in patients with a history of stimulant addiction, or when the drug was used in very high doses (400–600 mg per day).
In a 1989 study it was investigated for use in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and was proven to be effective. In a 1977 study it was not proven of benefit in advanced parkinsonism, except for depression associated with the parkinsonism.