Combination therapy for the treatment of neurological disorders

A method for decreasing inter-individual variability due to CYP2D6-mediated metabolism in the inhibition of norepinephrine uptake, comprising the steps of:

• a) determining the CYP2D6 status of a human in need of inhibition of norepinephrine uptake;
• and
• b) administering to a human that is a CYP2D6 extensive-metabolizer in need of norepinephrine uptake inhibition an effective amount of atomoxetine in combination with an inhibitor of CYP2D6.

An improved method for the inhibition of norepinephrine uptake in a human by the administration of an effective amount of atomoxetine to a human in need of said inhibition, wherein the improvement comprises the co-administration of an inhibitor of CYP2D6.

A method for the treatment of treatment-resistant attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, comprising administering to a patient who has previously not responded to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder treatment, an effective amount of atomoxetine in combination with an inhibitor of CYP2D6.

A method for increasing the mean plasma half-life of atomoxetine in a human, comprising administering to a human in need of inhibition of norepinephrine uptake an effective amount of atomoxetine in combination with an inhibitor of CYP2D6.

A method for increasing the maximum steady state plasma concentration of atomoxetine in a human, comprising administering to a human in need of inhibition of norepinephrine uptake an effective amount of atomoxetine in combination with an inhibitor of CYP2D6.

A pharmaceutical formulation comprising atomoxetine and an inhibitor of CYP2D6 in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.