Next-generation pharmacotherapies for anxiety: targeting fear, unease and worry

Existing pharmacological treatments for patients with anxiety disorders (generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, simple phobia) are not ideal. Many patients do not respond to a succession of evidence-based medicines, and many are troubled by adverse effects which reduce the acceptability of treatment. These limitations partly arise from an incomplete understanding of mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of anxiety symptoms. In this presentation, Professor Baldwin will briefly highlight the areas with scope for improvement, before considering compounds with novel mechanisms of action which might have potential for greater effectiveness or improved acceptability.