Duloxetine in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder

Abstract

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a relatively prevalent and disabling condition. Duloxetine, an inhibitor of both serotonin and norepinephrine, was approved by the US FDA in 2007 for the treatment of GAD. Short-term efficacy of duloxetine in dosages of 60–120 mg/day has been established in four double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of 9–10 weeks duration. Duloxetine has also been found to meet rigorous criteria for noninferiority in comparison with venlafaxine in GAD. Duloxetine has shown superiority on measures of functioning and quality of life and, compared with placebo treatment, it reduces painful physical symptoms common in GAD patients. Continuation treatment for acute treatment responders was found to prevent relapse of GAD to a significantly greater degree than placebo. In all acute and long-term trials, duloxetine was well-tolerated. This body of research suggests that duloxetine should be one of the options considered as a first-line treatment for GAD.

Keywords::

• duloxetine
• functioning
• generalized anxiety disorder
• pain
• relapse

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Funding for this research was received from Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript and was provided by Paul Crits-Cristoph, who assisted S Kornstein with drafting of the manuscript. All of the research supporting the studies was provided by Lilly and BI.