Psychiatric manifestations of post-COVID-19 syndrome: the potential benefit of Silexan

Abstract

Objective: Psychiatric symptoms are common and bothersome in individuals with post-COVID-19 syndrome. Because they are often mixed and subthreshold, established treatment regimens cannot be applied. There is an urgent need to identify therapeutics for affected patients. Silexan, a proprietary essential oil from Lavandula angustifolia, has demonstrated efficacy against anxiety, comorbid symptoms, and subthreshold and mixed syndromes. The aim of the current narrative review is to examine the therapeutic potential of Silexan for psychiatric manifestations in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Methods: We reviewed clinical evidence regarding the efficacy of Silexan and first clinical experience in patients with psychiatric symptoms attributable to the post-COVID-19 syndrome. Furthermore, we discussed potential modes of action based on nonclinical data.

Results: Silexan has demonstrated therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder; subsyndromal anxiety disorders; comorbid depressive, somatic, and sleep disturbance symptoms; and mixed anxiety and depression. Emerging clinical experience also suggests the effectiveness and tolerability of Silexan for patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome. This can be explained by the fact that the therapeutic profile of Silexan overlaps with the spectrum of psychiatric symptoms in such patients.

Conclusion: Preliminary findings indicate a promising potential of Silexan for the treatment of psychiatric manifestations in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Key points

• Anxiety and mixed neuropsychiatric manifestations are commonly observed in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome.

• Silexan has anxiolytic properties and can alleviate comorbid depressive, somatic, and sleep impairment symptoms.

• Silexan exhibits several biological mechanisms, such as neurotrophic and anti-inflammatory properties, which have the potential to positively impact post-COVID-19 disease.

• Silexan has a favourable safety profile and high acceptance among patients.

• Emerging data suggest that Silexan can alleviate neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome.

• Silexan should be considered as a therapeutic in patients with psychiatric manifestations of post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Keywords:

• Silexan
• post-COVID-19 syndrome
• psychiatric symptoms
• anxiety
• depressive symptoms
• mixed psychiatric manifestations

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Zoya Marinova for editorial assistance in manuscript preparation.

Disclosure statement

In the past 3 years Siegfried Kasper has received grant/research support from Lundbeck; he has served as a consultant or on advisory boards for Angelini, Biogen, Esai, Janssen, IQVIA, Lundbeck, Mylan, Recordati, Sage and Schwabe; and he has served on speakers bureaus for Abbott, Angelini, Aspen Farmaceutica S.A., Biogen, Janssen, Lundbeck, Recordati, Sage, Sanofi, Schwabe, Servier, Sun Pharma and Vifor.

Anne Eckert received consulting funds and/or honoraria within the last three years from Schwabe.

Hans-Jürgen Möller has received grant/research support, consulting fees and honoraria within the last years from AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen Cilag, Lundbeck, MSD, Novartis, Organon, Otsuka, Pfizer, Schwabe, Sepracor, Servier, and Wyeth.

Within the last three years, Hans-Peter Volz has served as a consultant or on advisory boards for Astra/Zeneca, Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Schwabe, Janssen, Otsuka, Angelini, and Sage and has served on speakers’ bureaus for Astra/Zeneca, Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, Schwabe, Janssen, Bayer, Recordati and neuraxpharm.

Erich Seifritz has received honoraria from Schwabe for educational lectures. He has further received educational grants and consulting fees from Janssen Cilag, Lundbeck, Angelini, Otsuka, Servier, Recordati, Vifor, Sunovion, and Mepha.

Additional information

Funding

This work is also supported by Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG.