Clomipramine (trade name Anafranil), has been used as a treatment for depression for more than 30 years.

It's been discovered that the drug can interfere with energy production in human cells. Cancer cells, and in particular cells from gliomas, the commonest type of brain tumour, seem to be particularly vulnerable. Laboratory tests have shown that treating glioma cells with clomipramine can actually cause the death of those cells. Other studies have also shown that when clomipramine is given to people it is concentrated in brain tissue.

As result of these findings a clinical trial is underway, to see whether clomipramine might be an effective treatment for gliomas. At the moment there are no results to give a clear idea of whether or not it will be of any value.

Clomipramine is given as a tablet. It does have a number of possible side-effects. The commonest of these are a dry mouth, sleepiness, blurred vision, constipation, and difficulty in passing urine.