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Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant

Class of antidepressant

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionDec 24, 2025
Entity authorityQ475921 ↗
Source-derived summary

Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants (NaSSAs) are a class of psychiatric drugs used primarily as antidepressants. They act by antagonizing the α2-adrenergic receptor and certain serotonin receptors such as 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C, but also 5-HT3, 5-HT6, and/or 5-HT7 in some cases. By blocking α2-adrenergic autoreceptors and heteroreceptors, NaSSAs enhance adrenergic and serotonergic neurotransmission in the brain involved in mood regulation, notably 5-HT1A-mediated transmission. In addition, due to their blockade of certain serotonin receptors, serotonergic neurotransmission is not facilitated in unwanted areas, which prevents the incidence of many side effects often associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants; hence, in part, the "specific serotonergic" label of NaSSAs.

List of NaSSAs

The NaSSAs include the following agents:

Aptazapine (CGS-7525A)

Esmirtazapine (ORG-50,081)

Mianserin (Bolvidon, Norval, Tolvon)

Mirtazapine (Norset, Remeron, Avanza, Zispin)

Setiptiline/teciptiline (Tecipul)

Notably, all of these compounds are analogues and are also classified as tetracyclic antidepressants (TeCAs) based on their chemical structures.

S32212, a structurally novel NaSSA with an improved selectivity profile (e.g., no antihistamine effects, etc.), was reported in 2012. It has completed preliminary preclinical research and may go on to undergo clinical trials.

See also

Serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI)

Serotonin modulator and stimulator (SMS)

Norepinephrine-dopamine disinhibitor (NDDI)

Tetracyclic antidepressant

Norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor

Atypical antidepressant

References

Further reading

Kent JM (March 2000). "SNaRIs, NaSSAs, and NaRIs: new agents for the treatment of depression". Lancet.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant” as class of antidepressant. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—2012, 2000—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Noradrenergic, specific and serotonergic can be independently traced.
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The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as class of antidepressant. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

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Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Dec 24, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q475921. The first chronological checks are 2012 and 2000.

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This entry incorporates text from “Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.