The improvement in patients treated with duloxetine was significantly greater compared with improvements in those treated with placebo, according to the results of tests that measured overall functioning, work performance, social life, and family and home responsibilities.

At the end of treatment, duloxetine patients were more likely to obtain a global functioning score of 5 or less, which is in the normal range of individuals without a psychiatric disorder, Endicott and colleagues report. "Across the studies, approximately 47 percent of duloxetine-treated patients and 28 percent of placebo-treated patients achieved this outcome."

Compared with placebo-treated patients, those treated with duloxetine also reported greater increases in quality of life, well-being and health.

The team concludes: "The consistency of duloxetine's efficacy in improving role functioning...demonstrates its ability to impact these essential patient outcomes associated with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder."

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, April 2007.

Copyright © 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.