Depression drug trial halted early: what we know

NCT ID NCT04249596

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested the drug tianeptine in 38 adults with major depression that did not improve after at least two other treatments. Participants took tianeptine three times a day for 8 weeks. The goal was to see if it reduced depression symptoms and changed how the brain processes emotional and physical pain. However, the trial was terminated early, so the results are incomplete.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

    New York, New York, 10029, United States

  • New York State Psychiatric Institute

    New York, New York, 10032, United States

  • Stanford Depression Research Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine

    Stanford, California, 94305, United States

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

Tianeptine (a drug that may affect mood and pain signaling)

What this could lead to

If it had succeeded, this could have pointed toward a new option for people with depression that hasn't responded to other treatments.

What could go wrong

The trial was terminated early, so we don't have clear results. It was also a small study (38 participants) and only tested one dose for 8 weeks, so any findings would be very preliminary.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.