The role of duloxetine in the treatment of anxiety disorders

Review

(2904) Views  (673) Full article downloads

Authors: Domenico De Berardis, Nicola Serroni, Alessandro Carano, Marco Scali, Alessandro Valchera, et al

Published Date July 2008 Volume 2008:4(5) Pages 929 - 935

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S2546

Domenico De Berardis^1,2,3, Nicola Serroni², Alessandro Carano^1,4, Marco Scali^1,4, Alessandro Valchera⁵, Daniela Campanella^1,2, Alessandro D’Albenzio¹, Berardo Di Giuseppe², Francesco Saverio Moschetta², Rosa Maria Salerno¹, Filippo Maria Ferro¹

¹Department of Oncology and Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, “G. D’Annunzio” University of Chieti, Italy; ²National Health Service, Department of Mental Health, SPDC Teramo, Italy; ³ITAB, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, “G. D’Annunzio” University Foundation, Chieti, Italy; ⁴National Health Service, Department of Mental Health, ASUR Marche 8, Civitanova Marche, Italy; ⁵Division of Psychiatry, “S. Giuseppe” Clinic, Ascoli Piceno, Italy

Abstract: Anxiety disorders (ADs) are the most common type of psychiatric disorders, with a mean incidence of 18.1% and a lifetime prevalence of 28.8%. Pharmacologic options studied for treating ADs may include benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants (TCA), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), noradrenergic and specific serotonergic drug (NaSSA) and dual-reuptake inhibitors of serotonin and norepinephrine (SNRIs). In this context, the development of SNRIs (venlafaxine and duloxetine) has been particularly useful. As a dual-acting intervention that targets two neurotransmitter systems, these medications would appePar promising for the treatment of ADs. The purpose of this review was to elucidate current facts and views about the role of duloxetine in the treatment of ADs. In February 2007, duloxetine was approved by FDA for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The results of trials evaluating the use duloxetine in the treatment of GAD are supportive on its efficacy even if further studies on long-term use are needed. Apart from some interesting case reports, no large studies are, to date, present in literature about duloxetine and other ADs such as panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, the clinical efficacy and the relative good tolerability of duloxetine may be further investigated to widen the therapeutic spectrum of ADs.

Keywords: anxiety disorders, duloxetine, serotonin, noradrenaline, efficacy, tolerability