Phenelzine 15mg tablets
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
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Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Phenelzine
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Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) collects suspected adverse reaction reports from across the EU/EEA through the EudraVigilance system. Search for safety data on this medicine.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Phenelzine
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EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
3 branded products available
MHRA licensed products
View all licensed products for Phenelzine on the MHRA register
Phenelzine 15mg tablets
This is the NHS Drug Tariff indicative price used for reimbursement purposes. It may not reflect the price paid by patients or pharmacies.
View full Drug TariffSource: NHS Drug Tariff via NHSBSA. Derived from dm+d VMPP (Virtual Medicinal Product Pack) pricing data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
WHO defined daily dose (DDD)
60 mg
Not a recommended dose. The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults. It is a statistical measure used for research and comparison purposes only.
Source: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, distributed via the NHS dm+d supplementary BNF/ATC mapping files (NHSBSA). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
NICE clinical guidance(3)
Social anxiety disorder: recognition, assessment and treatment (CG159)
Depression in adults with a chronic physical health problem: recognition and management (CG91)
Depression in adults: treatment and management (NG222)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
Pharmacy stock checkers
Search for this medicine at major UK pharmacy chains. These links open the retailer's own website — results depend on their current online catalogue.
Supply & safety information
Official UK regulator monitoring and safety alerts
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. Shortage and safety information sourced from MHRA drug safety updates (gov.uk, Crown Copyright under OGL v3.0).
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF code shown is the factual mapping value distributed by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in the dm+d supplementary file under OGL v3.0; it is not affiliated with, nor licensed from, the publishers of the British National Formulary. ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing all 20 studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 4 · 1998–2025
Showing all 20 studies, sorted by most relevant.
R. Heimberg, R. Heimberg, M. Liebowitz, et al.
Archives of general psychiatry, 1998
- Analysis of Variance
- Combined Modality Therapy
- Guinea Pigs
Gavin R. Hoffman, M. G. Olson, A. Schoffstall, et al.
ACS chemical neuroscience, 2023
- Phenelzine
- Tranylcypromine
- Antidepressive Agents
Vincent Van den Eynde, Wegdan R Abdelmoemin, M. Abraham, et al.
CNS Spectrums, 2022
- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
- Phenelzine
- Tranylcypromine
This article is a clinical guide which discusses the "state-of-the-art" usage of the classic monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) antidepressants (phenelzine, tranylcypromine, and isocarboxazid) in modern psychiatric practice. The guide is for all clinicians, including those who may not be experienced MAOI prescribers. It discusses indications, drug-drug interactions, side-effect management, and the safety of various augmentation strategies. There is a clear and broad consensus (more than 70 international expert endorsers), based on 6 decades of experience, for the recommendations herein exposited. They are based on empirical evidence and expert opinion-this guide is presented as a new specialist-consensus standard. The guide provides practical clinical advice, and is the basis for the rational use of these drugs, particularly because it improves and updates knowledge, and corrects the various misconceptions that have hitherto been prominent in the literature, partly due to insufficient knowledge of pharmacology. The guide suggests that MAOIs should always be considered in cases of treatment-resistant depression (including those melancholic in nature), and prior to electroconvulsive therapy-while taking into account of patient preference. In selected cases, they may be considered earlier in the treatment algorithm than has previously been customary, and should not be regarded as drugs of last resort; they may prove decisively effective when many other treatments have failed. The guide clarifies key points on the concomitant use of incorrectly proscribed drugs such as methylphenidate and some tricyclic antidepressants. It also illustrates the straightforward "bridging" methods that may be used to transition simply and safely from other antidepressants to MAOIs.
Abstract licence: CC BY
G. Baker, D. Matveychuk, Erin M Mackenzie, et al.
Chemico-biological interactions, 2019
- Antidepressive Agents
- Monoamine Oxidase
- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
Phenelzine (β-phenylethylhydrazine) is a monoamine oxidase (MAO)-inhibiting antidepressant with anxiolytic properties. It possesses a number of important pharmacological properties which may alter the effects of oxidative stress. After conducting a comprehensive literature search, the authors of this review paper aim to provide an overview and discussion of the mechanisms by which phenelzine may attenuate oxidative stress. It inhibits γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transaminase, resulting in elevated brain GABA levels, inhibits both MAO and primary amine oxidase and, due to its hydrazine-containing structure, reacts chemically to sequester a number of reactive aldehydes (e.g. acrolein and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal) proposed to be implicated in oxidative stress in a number of neurodegenerative disorders. Phenelzine is unusual in that it is both an inhibitor of and a substrate for MAO, the latter action producing at least one active metabolite, β-phenylethylidenehydrazine (PEH). This metabolite inhibits GABA transaminase, is a very weak inhibitor of MAO but a strong inhibitor of primary amine oxidase, and sequesters aldehydes. Phenelzine may ameliorate the effects of oxidative stress by reducing formation of reactive metabolites (aldehydes, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia/ammonia derivatives) produced by the interaction of MAO with biogenic amines, by sequestering various other reactive aldehydes and by inhibiting primary amine oxidase. In PC12 cells treated with the neurotoxin MPP+, phenelzine has been reported to reduce several adverse effects of MPP+. It has also been reported to reduce lipid peroxidative damage induced in plasma and platelet proteins by peroxynitrite. In animal models, phenelzine has a neuroprotective effect in global ischemia and in cortical impact traumatic brain injury. Recent studies reported in the literature on the possible involvement of acrolein in spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis indicate that phenelzine can attenuate adverse effects of acrolein in these models. Results from studies in our laboratories on effects of phenelzine and PEH on primary amine oxidase (which catalyzes formation of toxic aldehydes and is overexpressed in Alzheimer's disease), on sequestration of the toxic aldehyde acrolein, and on reduction of acrolein-induced toxicity in mouse cortical neurons are also reported.
Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND
R. Hill, I. Singh, Juan A. Wang, et al.
Experimental neurology, 2020
- Brain Injuries, Traumatic
- Cerebral Cortex
- Mitochondria
S. Tunç, O. Duman, B. K. Bozoğlan
Journal of Luminescence, 2013
Ke-liang Wang, Jie Luo, S. Yeh, et al.
Nature Communications, 2020
- Benzamides
- Clorgyline
- Enzyme Stability
The antiandrogen enzalutamide (Enz) has improved survival in castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients. However, most patients eventually develop Enz resistance that may involve inducing the androgen receptor (AR) splicing variant 7 (ARv7). Here we report that high expression of monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) is associated with positive ARv7 detection in CRPC patients following Enz treatment. Targeting MAO-A with phenelzine or clorgyline, the FDA-approved drugs for antidepression, resensitize the Enz resistant (EnzR) cells to Enz treatment and further suppress EnzR cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggest that Enz-increased ARv7 expression can transcriptionally enhance MAO-A expression resulting in Enz resistance via altering the hypoxia HIF-1α signals. Together, our results show that targeting the Enz/ARv7/MAO-A signaling with the antidepressants phenelzine or clorgyline can restore Enz sensitivity to suppress EnzR cell growth, which may indicate that these antidepression drugs can overcome the Enz resistance to further suppress the EnzR CRPC.
Abstract licence: CC BY
Zhe Chen, Jonghyuck Park, Breanne Butler, et al.
Journal of neurochemistry, 2016
- Behavior, Animal
- Contusions
- Disease Models, Animal
P. Prusevich, Jay H. Kalin, Shonoi A. Ming, et al.
ACS chemical biology, 2014
- Cell Survival
- Cells, Cultured
- Embryo, Mammalian
Kim B, Huang Y, Ko KP, et al.
2024
- Cell Plasticity
- Lung
Cell plasticity, changes in cell fate, is crucial for tissue regeneration. In the lung, failure of regeneration leads to diseases, including fibrosis. However, the mechanisms governing alveolar cell plasticity during lung repair remain elusive. We previously showed that PCLAF remodels the DREAM complex, shifting the balance from cell quiescence towards cell proliferation. Here, we find that PCLAF expression is specific to proliferating lung progenitor cells, along with the DREAM target genes transactivated by lung injury. Genetic ablation of Pclaf impairs AT1 cell repopulation from AT2 cells, leading to lung fibrosis. Mechanistically, the PCLAF-DREAM complex transactivates CLIC4, triggering TGF-β signaling activation, which promotes AT1 cell generation from AT2 cells. Furthermore, phenelzine that mimics the PCLAF-DREAM transcriptional signature increases AT2 cell plasticity, preventing lung fibrosis in organoids and mice. Our study reveals the unexpected role of the PCLAF-DREAM axis in promoting alveolar cell plasticity, beyond cell proliferation control, proposing a potential therapeutic avenue for lung fibrosis prevention.
Abstract licence: CC BY
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
145 found
Half-life
11.6 hours
Mechanism
The basic mechanism of action of phenelzine acts as an inhibitor and substrate o…
Food interactions
4 warnings
Human targets
7 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
19.8 ng/ml
Half-life
11.6 hours
[L1365]
Protein binding
Volume of distribution
Metabolism
Elimination
79%
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[L1356]
Atypical depression has a high prevalence rate, starts in early life, tends to last longer, is more likely to occur in people with bipolar disorder, has a high comorbidity with anxiety disorder and carries more risk of suicidal behavior. It is important to specify the atypical feature to predict the clinical course of depression and hence generate the best treatment and service. The featuring symptoms of the atypical feature include mood reactivity, two or more of this symptoms: 1) increased appetite, 2) increased sleep, 3) leaden paralysis and 4) interpersonal rejection sensitivity and should not have melancholic or catatonic features of depression.
[A31917]
Neurotic depression is a depression of an emotionally unstable person.
It is a secondary condition to major personality disorder, neuroses and drug use disorders. Likewise, a primary depression with a family history of depression spectrum disease would fit in this category.
[A31922]
A nonendogenous depression is characterized by a disturbance in mood and general outlook. The physical symptoms tend to be less severe and it often occurs in response to stressful life events that keep occurring over a large period of time generating a continuous stress in the daily living.
[A31924]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1763 interactions
[A31929]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[L1365]
The mean Cmax is 19.8 ng/ml and it occurs after 43 minutes of dose administration.[FDA label]
[L1365]
[A31925]
[A31928]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:18391214 PMID:20493079 PMID:24169519 PMID:8316221
Preferentially oxidizes serotonin .
PMID:20493079 PMID:24169519
Also catalyzes the oxidative deamination of kynuramine to 3-(2-aminophenyl)-3-oxopropanal that can spontaneously condense to 4-hydroxyquinoline (By similarity)
PMID:11049757 PMID:11134050 PMID:20493079 PMID:8316221 PMID:8665924
Preferentially degrades benzylamine and phenylethylamine PMID:11049757 PMID:11134050 PMID:20493079 PMID:8316221 PMID:8665924
PMID:19588076 PMID:24304424 PMID:9653080
Has a preference for the primary monoamines methylamine and benzylamine .
PMID:19588076 PMID:9653080
Could also act on 2-phenylethylamine but much less efficiently .
PMID:19588076
At endothelial cells surface can also function as a cell adhesion protein that participates in lymphocyte extravasation and recirculation by mediating the binding of lymphocytes to peripheral lymph node vascular endothelial cells in an L-selectin-independent fashion PMID:9254657 PMID:9653080
PMID:10407778 PMID:15528998
Can also convert delta-aminovalerate and beta-alanine (By similarity)
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
ATC N06AF03
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Phenelzine
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
11355
ChemSpider
3547
BindingDB
50105417
ZINC
ZINC000019166991
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6833
GenAtlas
MAOA
GeneCards
MAOA
GenBank Gene Database
M68840
GenBank Protein Database
187353
Guide to Pharmacology
2489
UniProt Accession
AOFA_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6834
GenAtlas
MAOB
GeneCards
MAOB
GenBank Gene Database
S62734
GenBank Protein Database
398415
Guide to Pharmacology
2490
UniProt Accession
AOFB_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:550
GenAtlas
AOC3
GeneCards
AOC3
GenBank Gene Database
U39447
GenBank Protein Database
1399032
Guide to Pharmacology
2767
UniProt Accession
AOC3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:23
GenAtlas
ABAT
GeneCards
ABAT
GenBank Gene Database
L32961
GenBank Protein Database
602705
Guide to Pharmacology
2464
UniProt Accession
GABT_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4552
GenAtlas
GPT
GeneCards
GPT
GenBank Gene Database
U70732
GenBank Protein Database
1763096
UniProt Accession
ALAT1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:18062
GenAtlas
GPT2
GeneCards
GPT2
GenBank Gene Database
AY029173
GenBank Protein Database
19046894
UniProt Accession
ALAT2_HUMAN
GenAtlas
GAD65
GenBank Gene Database
AJ251501
GenBank Protein Database
6562440
UniProt Accession
Q9UGI5_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2621
GeneCards
CYP2C19
GenBank Gene Database
M61854
GenBank Protein Database
181344
Guide to Pharmacology
1328
UniProt Accession
CP2CJ_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2622
GenAtlas
CYP2C8
GeneCards
CYP2C8
GenBank Gene Database
M17397
Guide to Pharmacology
1325
UniProt Accession
CP2C8_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2637
GenAtlas
CYP3A4
GeneCards
CYP3A4
GenBank Gene Database
M18907
Guide to Pharmacology
1337
UniProt Accession
CP3A4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2638
GenAtlas
CYP3A5
GeneCards
CYP3A5
GenBank Gene Database
J04813
GenBank Protein Database
181346
Guide to Pharmacology
1338
UniProt Accession
CP3A5_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2640
GeneCards
CYP3A7
GenBank Gene Database
D00408
GenBank Protein Database
220149
UniProt Accession
CP3A7_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2625
GenAtlas
CYP2D6
GeneCards
CYP2D6
GenBank Gene Database
M20403
GenBank Protein Database
181350
Guide to Pharmacology
1329
UniProt Accession
CP2D6_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2637
GenAtlas
CYP3A4
GeneCards
CYP3A4
GenBank Gene Database
M18907
Guide to Pharmacology
1337
UniProt Accession
CP3A4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:17450
GeneCards
CYP3A43
GenBank Gene Database
AF319634
GenBank Protein Database
12642642
UniProt Accession
CP343_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2638
GenAtlas
CYP3A5
GeneCards
CYP3A5
GenBank Gene Database
J04813
GenBank Protein Database
181346
Guide to Pharmacology
1338
UniProt Accession
CP3A5_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2640
GeneCards
CYP3A7
GenBank Gene Database
D00408
GenBank Protein Database
220149
UniProt Accession
CP3A7_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6833
GenAtlas
MAOA
GeneCards
MAOA
GenBank Gene Database
M68840
GenBank Protein Database
187353
Guide to Pharmacology
2489
UniProt Accession
AOFA_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6834
GenAtlas
MAOB
GeneCards
MAOB
GenBank Gene Database
S62734
GenBank Protein Database
398415
Guide to Pharmacology
2490
UniProt Accession
AOFB_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2631
GeneCards
CYP2E1
GenBank Gene Database
J02625
GenBank Protein Database
181360
Guide to Pharmacology
1330
UniProt Accession
CP2E1_HUMAN
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications:
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Structured knowledge from the free knowledge base
ATC classifications (Wikidata)
Linked open data from Wikidata (Q1747559), a free and open knowledge base operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Data is available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication.