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Venlafaxine XR Demonstrates Efficacy in Panic Disorder: Presented at ADAA

By Alison Palkhivala

TORONTO, ON -- April 1, 2003 -- Venlafaxine extended release (XR) appears to be a safe and effective short-term treatment for panic disorder, according to an industry-sponsored study.

Results were presented here in a poster on March 29^th at the 23^rd Annual Conference of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.

Timothy Whitaker, MD, Wyeth Research, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, led a multicenter trial in which 361 patients with panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia) were randomized to treatment with 75 to 225 mg/day of venlafaxine XR or placebo for up to 10 weeks. Wyeth is the manufacturer of venlafaxine XR.

The researchers measured treatment efficacy using the Panic and Anticipatory Anxiety Scale (PAAS) and the Clinical Global Impression of Improvement (CGI-I) scale.

After 10 weeks, 55% of patients receiving venlafaxine XR and 52.4% of patients receiving placebo were free from panic attacks, based on an intent-to-treat analysis. Overall, 68.1% of patients taking venlafaxine XR, compared with 55.4% of patients on placebo responded to therapy (P<0.05). Also, 35.6% of venlafaxine XR patients achieved remission, versus 24.4% of patients on placebo (P<0.05).

Venlafaxine XR therapy was also better than placebo at reducing panic attack frequency. Patients on venlafaxine XR had a median change from baseline in panic attack frequency of -5, compared with -3.7 for those on placebo (P<0.05).

Both the incidence and severity of adverse events that were associated with venlafaxine XR treatment for panic disorder in this study were comparable to those observed in patients with depression and generalized anxiety disorder treated with this agent. The most common adverse events included insomnia, dry mouth, sweating, sexual problems and constipation.


[Study title: Treatment Of Panic Disorder With Venlafaxine XR. Abstract P89]

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