An Eight-Week Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of SR58611A in Elderly Patients With Depression

Inclusion Criteria: * Outpatients or inpatients * Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with a recurrent Major Depressive Episode (MDE) according to DSM IV-TR criteria. * MADRS score equal of above 22. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with a current significant risk of suicide in the investigator's clinical judgment. * The duration of the current depressive episode is greater than 2 years. * Patients whose current depressive episode is secondary to a general medical condition * Patients with a lifetime history according to MINI at screening of:bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, antisocial personality disorder. * Patients with a current history according to MINI at screening of anxiety disorders, alcohol dependence or abuse or substance dependence or abuse * Patients with severe or unstable concomitant medical conditions. * History of seizures other than a single childhood febrile seizure. * Patients with abnormal thyroid functioning. * Patients with clinically significant ECG findings at screening. * Patients who have taken an investigational drug in the last 3 months prior to screening. * Any subject who has previously participated in a SR58611A protocol. * Patients with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score \< 25 at screening.