Prescription medicine
Isocarboxazid Brand names: Marplan
Isocarboxazid (Marplan) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1959. No generic is listed in FDA's NDC Directory.
- No generic listed
- In shortage
- Boxed warning
Check it at the source: the isocarboxazid FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 21, 2026, Lifsa Drugs LLC); the NDA 11961 record on Drugs@FDA; every isocarboxazid label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of April 21, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026
Suicidality and Antidepressant Drugs Antidepressants increased the risk compared to placebo of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults in short-term studies with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of Marplan or any other antidepressant in a child, adolescent or young adult must balance this risk with the clinical need. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age 24; there was a reduction in risk with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults aged 65 and older. Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide. Patients of all ages who are started on antidepressant therapy should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior. Families and caregivers should be advised of the need for close observation and communication with the prescriber. Marplan is not approved for use in pediatric patients ( see Warnings: Clinical Worsening and Suicide Risk, Precautions: Information for Patients, and Precautions: Pediatric Use ). […]
Used for
From the label: indications and usageMarplan is indicated for the treatment of depression.
Forms and strengths
- 10 mg
Tablet.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- July 1, 1959 Marplan, Lifsa Drugs; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 1 of which 0 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- Not in the survey
- Shortage (FDA)
- 1 of 1 presentation limited or unavailable updated August 6, 2026
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 73 through July 30, 2026
What is isocarboxazid used for?
From the label: indications and usageMarplan is indicated for the treatment of depression. Because of its potentially serious side effects, Marplan is not an antidepressant of first choice in the treatment of newly diagnosed depressed patients. The efficacy of Marplan in the treatment of depression was established in 6-week controlled trials of depressed outpatients. These patients had symptoms that corresponded to the DSM-IV category of major depressive disorder; however, they often also had signs and symptoms of anxiety (anxious mood, panic, and/or phobic symptoms) ( see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY ). […]
Conditions named in the indications of isocarboxazid's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other isocarboxazid labelsDepression: INDICATIONS AND USAGE Marplan is indicated for the treatment of depression.
FDA pharmacologic class: Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor.
Source: FDA drug label (MARPLAN), Lifsa Drugs LLC, effective April 21, 2026 (SPL set 95fde749-44ad-4668-86c4-0ff17bca0074), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for isocarboxazid (Marplan)?
No generic isocarboxazid is approved (Drugs@FDA, October 8, 2026).
- 1959 earliest approval on file
- 2026 to now in shortage
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
Is isocarboxazid in shortage?
The FDA Drug Shortage Database lists 1 of 1 isocarboxazid presentations as limited or unavailable (updated August 6, 2026); the first entry was posted on April 16, 2026.
| Presentation | Company | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marplan, Tablet, 10 mg, 100 count bottle (NDC 72336-032-01) | Lifsa Drugs LLC | Current | August 6, 2026 |
Every isocarboxazid presentation in the FDA shortage database
Source: FDA Drug Shortage Database via openFDA, updated October 8, 2026
What does the isocarboxazid label say about other medicines?
The isocarboxazid label names 32 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 14 other medicines name isocarboxazid. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
| Medicine named | Section | What the label says |
|---|---|---|
| Amitriptyline | contraindications | Generic Name: Amitriptyline HCL; Trademark (Manufacturer): Elavil ® (Zeneca) |
| Amoxapine | contraindications | Generic Name: Amoxapine; Trademark (Manufacturer): Asendin ® (Lederle) |
| Bupropion | contraindications | … (Lederle) Maprotiline HCL Ludiomil ® (Novartis) Trimipramine maleate Surmontil ® (Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories) Bupropion The concurrent administration of a MAO inhibitor and buproprion hydrochloride (Wellbutrin ® , and Zyban ® , Glaxo Wellcome) is contraindicated. |
| Buspirone | contraindications | MAO inhibitors or dibenzazepine derivatives; sympathomimetics (including amphetamines); some central nervous system depressants (including narcotics and alcohol); antihypertensive, diuretic, antihistaminic, sedative or anesthetic drugs, buproprion HCL, buspirone HCL, dextromethorphan, cheese or other foods with a high … |
| Caffeine | contraindications | … buspirone HCL, dextromethorphan, cheese or other foods with a high tyramine content; or excessive quantities of caffeine. |
| Carbamazepine | contraindications | Generic Name: Carbamazepine; Trademark (Manufacturer): Tegretol ® (Novartis) |
| Citalopram | contraindications | Serious reactions may also occur when MAO inhibitors are given with serotoninergic drugs (e.g., dexfenfluramine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram, venlafaxine). |
| Clomipramine | contraindications | Generic Name: Clomipramine hydrochloride; Trademark (Manufacturer): Anafranil ® (Novartis) |
| Cocaine | contraindications | Also, they should not be given cocaine or local anesthesia containing sympathomimetic vasoconstrictors. |
| Cyclobenzaprine | contraindications | Generic Name: Cyclobenzaprine HCL; Trademark (Manufacturer): Flexeril ® (Merck Sharp & Dohme) |
| Desipramine | contraindications | Generic Name: Desipramine HCL; Trademark (Manufacturer): Norpramin ® (Hoechst Marion Roussel) |
| Dextromethorphan | contraindications | … alcohol); antihypertensive, diuretic, antihistaminic, sedative or anesthetic drugs, buproprion HCL, buspirone HCL, dextromethorphan, cheese or other foods with a high tyramine content; or excessive quantities of caffeine. |
| Disulfiram | drug interactions | Marplan should be administered with caution to patients receiving Antabuse ® (disulfiram, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories). |
| Doxepin | contraindications | Generic Name: Doxepin HCL; Trademark (Manufacturer): Adapin ® (Fisons) |
Every other medicine the isocarboxazid label names
| Medicine named | Section | What the label says |
|---|---|---|
| Epinephrine | contraindications | Use of sympathomimetics and compounds such as guanethidine, methyldopa, methylphenidate, reserpine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, phenylalanine, dopamine, levodopa, tyrosine, and tryptophan with … |
| Fluoxetine | contraindications | … confusion progressing to delirium and coma) in patients receiving fluoxetine (Prozac ® , Lilly) in combination with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), and in patients who have recently … |
| Fluvoxamine | contraindications | Serious reactions may also occur when MAO inhibitors are given with serotoninergic drugs (e.g., dexfenfluramine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram, venlafaxine). |
| Imipramine | contraindications | Generic Name: Imipramine HCL; Trademark (Manufacturer): Janimine ® (Abbott Laboratories) |
| Levodopa | contraindications | … methylphenidate, reserpine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, phenylalanine, dopamine, levodopa, tyrosine, and tryptophan with Marplan may precipitate hypertension, headache, and related symptoms. |
| Meperidine | contraindications | Meperidine Meperidine should not be used concomitantly with MAO inhibitors or within 2- or 3-weeks following MAO therapy. |
| Methyldopa | contraindications | Use of sympathomimetics and compounds such as guanethidine, methyldopa, methylphenidate, reserpine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, phenylalanine, dopamine, levodopa, tyrosine, and tryptophan with … |
| Methylphenidate | contraindications | Use of sympathomimetics and compounds such as guanethidine, methyldopa, methylphenidate, reserpine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, phenylalanine, dopamine, levodopa, tyrosine, and tryptophan with … |
| Nortriptyline | contraindications | Generic Name: Nortriptyline HCL; Trademark (Manufacturer): Aventyl ® (Eli Lilly & Co.) |
| Paroxetine | contraindications | At least 2 weeks should be allowed after stopping sertraline (Zoloft ® , Pfizer) or paroxetine (Paxil ® , SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals) before starting Marplan. |
| Perphenazine | contraindications | Generic Name: Perphenazine and amitriptyline HCL; Trademark (Manufacturer): Etrafon ® (Schering) |
| Phenelzine | contraindications | Generic Name: Phenelzine sulfate; Trademark (Manufacturer): Nardil ® (Parke-Davis) |
| Phentolamine | warnings | Although there has been no systematic study of treatment of hypertensive crisis, phentolamine (available as Regitine ® , Novartis) has been used and is recommended at a dosage of 5 mg IV. |
| Procarbazine | contraindications | Generic Name: Procarbazine; Trademark (Manufacturer): Matulane ® (Roche Laboratories) |
| Sertraline | contraindications | At least 2 weeks should be allowed after stopping sertraline (Zoloft ® , Pfizer) or paroxetine (Paxil ® , SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals) before starting Marplan. |
| Tranylcypromine | contraindications | Generic Name: Tranylcypromine sulfate; Trademark (Manufacturer): Parnate ® (SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals) |
| Trimipramine | contraindications | Generic Name: Trimipramine maleate; Trademark (Manufacturer): Surmontil ® (Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories) |
| Venlafaxine | contraindications | Serious reactions may also occur when MAO inhibitors are given with serotoninergic drugs (e.g., dexfenfluramine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram, venlafaxine). |
Other labels that name isocarboxazid
Source: FDA drug label (MARPLAN), Lifsa Drugs LLC, effective April 21, 2026 (SPL set 95fde749-44ad-4668-86c4-0ff17bca0074), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for isocarboxazid?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 73 reports that list isocarboxazid among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 20 are coded as a death and 27 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What else is labeled for the same conditions as isocarboxazid?
30 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as isocarboxazid or labeled mainly for the same use (depression), the same class first. Depression lists all 37 medicines labeled for it, by any route. The first 8 are below. They are listed as records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine | Shared indication | Generic labelers (oral) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tranylcypromine | Depression | 4 labelers | $0.591 per tablet 10 mg tablet | A presentation being discontinued |
| Bupropion | Depression | 73 labelers | $0.0785 per tablet 150 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Venlafaxine | Depression | 62 labelers | $0.0799 per capsule 75 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Aripiprazole | Depression | 47 labelers | $0.110 per tablet 5 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Fluoxetine | Depression | 59 labelers | $0.0519 per capsule 40 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Sertraline | Depression | 48 labelers | $0.0507 per tablet 100 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Amitriptyline | Depression | 36 labelers | $0.03 per tablet 10 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Duloxetine | Depression | 45 labelers | $0.102 per capsule 30 mg capsule | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as isocarboxazid
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to isocarboxazid
- 30 medicines for the same use
- Other MAO inhibitors
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Isocarboxazid side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Isocarboxazid shortage record
- every presentation, company and date
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other