Efficacy and tolerability of short-term venlafaxine XR therapy for GAD. Results of short-term, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.

Abstract

The evolution of the diagnosis of GAD over the past 20 years generated a need for rigorous double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of drug therapies for GAD that are based on current DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Serving as the current model for evaluating a pure anxiolytic effect, the extensive and rigorous clinical trials program described here has demonstrated that venlafaxine XR is effective and well tolerated during the shortterm treatment of DSM-IV GAD. Available clinical data suggest the potential use of venlafaxine XR in the treatment of the entire spectrum of mood disorders, including depression with or without anxiety and anxiety with or without depression.