ABSTRACT Agomelatine is a novel antidepressant that acts via antagonism at the 5HT2C receptor and agonism at the MT1 and MT2 receptors. Besides its use as an antidepressant, there is evidence that agomelatine has an anxiolytic effect as well. Agomelatine is unique because in addition to decreasing anxiety symptoms, it improves the sleep profile of patients by regulating the circadian rhythm. In this study electronic literature search on PubMed was conducted using the following keywords: anxiety, phobia, phobic, panic, fear and agomelatine. Twenty-seven relevant studies and publications on the use of agomelatine for anxiety were identified and are included in this review. Agomelatine was found to be efficacious in alleviating anxiety symptoms and improving sleep quality in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. It also reduced anxiety symptoms in major depressive disorder patients. Furthermore, evidence indicated its effectiveness in treating panic disorder. Agomelatine was well-tolerated with lesser side effects as compared to other antidepressants. Based on the studies that have been done, agomelatine is an efficacious and tolerable antidepressant that is considered beneficial in the management of anxiety. In addition, evidence shows that agomelatine may be more effective in comparison to other antidepressants in patients with severe baseline anxiety.
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