Other Types Of Drugs - On The Horizon: Anxiety Disorder

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Other types of drugs

Other kinds of drugs are being developed to act on the many other receptors and neurotransmitters that help promote or relieve anxiety. In early clinical studies, four targets look promising:

Neuropeptide Y agonists. Neuropeptide Y is an amino acid found throughout the nervous system. Human studies suggest that it has powerful anti-anxiety properties. Drugs that mimic its natural activity in the amygdala and other areas of the brain could help control anxiety symptoms.

Substance P antagonists. Researchers believe that substance P, a brain chemical present in the amygdala, plays a role in anxiety. Drugs that block substance P are being studied in clinical trials sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health.

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) antagonists. CRF is a hormone that activates the HPA axis to launch the stress response. Elevated amounts of this chemical have been found in people with post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, drugs that block its action might be useful in treating this condition.

Cholecystokinin antagonists. Cholecystokinin, another neurotransmitter found throughout the brain, is believed to prompt anxiety and panic attacks. In preliminary studies, agents that block cholecystokinin were given to healthy volunteers, as well as to people with panic disorder. Afterward, researchers tried to induce panic attacks experimentally, but none of the participants who had taken the cholecystokinin antagonist had panic attacks.

Last updated:	September 05, 2008