Agomelatine [Valdoxan], the first melatonergic antidepressant, is effective in the treatment of depression and is associated with improvements in sleep parameters and preservation of sexual function, according to data presented at the 18th European Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) [Amsterdam, The Netherlands; October 2005]. In two 6-week studies, agomelatine produced significant improvements on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) compared with placebo. The efficacy of agomelatine was confirmed in a pooled subgroup analysis of severely depressed patients from three studies. In a further study, agomelatine was as effective as venlafaxine XR and produced earlier and greater improvements in subjective sleep over a 6-week period. Preservation of sexual function was more favourable with agomelatine than venlafaxine XR in a separate study.