Evaluation of vilazodone for the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders

Stuivenga, M.; Giltay, E.J.; Cools, O.; Roosens, L.; Neels, H.; Sabbe, B.

doi:doi:10.1080/14656566.2018.1549542

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) significantlycontribute to the global burden of disease. Vilazodone, a combined serotonin reuptake inhibitor and5-HT1A partial agonist, is an approved therapy for the treatment of MDD and which has been furtherinvestigated for GAD.Areas covered: This article covers the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of vilazodone andprovides an evaluation of the clinical usefulness of vilazodone for the treatment of MDD and anxietydisorders. A literature search was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science and the CochraneLibrary.Expert opinion: Studies have shown that vilazodone is significantly superior to placebo. However,vilazodone cannot as yet be recommended as a first-line treatment option for MDD as it is unclearwhether the drug’s dual mechanism of action provides greater efficacy than prevailing treatmentoptions. Moreover, more phase IV studies are needed to establish its efficacy and...Show moreABSTRACTIntroduction: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) significantlycontribute to the global burden of disease. Vilazodone, a combined serotonin reuptake inhibitor and5-HT1A partial agonist, is an approved therapy for the treatment of MDD and which has been furtherinvestigated for GAD.Areas covered: This article covers the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of vilazodone andprovides an evaluation of the clinical usefulness of vilazodone for the treatment of MDD and anxietydisorders. A literature search was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science and the CochraneLibrary.Expert opinion: Studies have shown that vilazodone is significantly superior to placebo. However,vilazodone cannot as yet be recommended as a first-line treatment option for MDD as it is unclearwhether the drug’s dual mechanism of action provides greater efficacy than prevailing treatmentoptions. Moreover, more phase IV studies are needed to establish its efficacy and long-term safety inlarger and more diverse populations. Although vilazodone may have an additional advantage for thetreatment of anxiety symptoms in MDD, here also additional studies are required to confirm its efficacyover and above SSRI alternatives and other antidepressant treatments. Therefore, presently, vilazodoneshould be considered as a second- or third-line treatment option for MDD and GAD.
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Evaluation of vilazodone for the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders