Summary
Citalopram has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Peripheral Neuropathy (Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy) would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Peripheral Neuropathy (Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy). No registered clinical trial in this database tests Citalopram specifically in Peripheral Neuropathy (Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy). The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study. The literature layer holds 2 publications for this pair: 2 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1992 to 2007. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Diabetic Neuropathy ranks 186 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Progressive with worsening glycaemic control; reversal essentially not possible with current treatments once established; spontaneous improvement only in cases of rapid glycaemic normalisation early in course.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 24.0 (trials 0.0, literature 4.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 0 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 2 (2 clinical trial publications) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | CACNA1C |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
No registered trial links Citalopram to Peripheral Neuropathy (Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy) in the current OSMF trial extract.
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Patient compliance with SSRIs and gabapentin in painful diabetic neuropathyGiannopoulos S, Kosmidou M, Sarmas I et al. · The Clinical journal of pain · 2007 · PMID 17314587
- Clinical trial publication The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram relieves the symptoms of diabetic neuropathySindrup SH, Bjerre U, Dejgaard A et al. · Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics · 1992 · PMID 1424428
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target CACNA1C. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Citalopram approved for Peripheral Neuropathy (Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy)?
Citalopram has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Peripheral Neuropathy (Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy) would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Peripheral Neuropathy (Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy). Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Citalopram in clinical trials for Peripheral Neuropathy (Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy)?
No registered clinical trial in this database tests Citalopram specifically in Peripheral Neuropathy (Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy). The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study.
What does the evidence show for Citalopram in Peripheral Neuropathy (Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy)?
The record for Citalopram in Peripheral Neuropathy (Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy) rests on 2 publications without a registered trial. This is a lead for hypothesis generation, not evidence of efficacy. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target CACNA1C. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.