Venlafaxine (Effexor XR) has been approved for the treatment of adults with panic disorder. Venlafaxine is a product of Wyeth. Venlafaxine is also indicated for the treatment of adults with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or social anxiety disorder.

The efficacy of venlafaxine as a treatment for panic disorder was established in two double-blind, 12-week, placebo-controlled studies. In both studies, the medication was significantly more effective than placebo at all three doses. Patients who had responded to venlafaxine during an initial 12-week open-label study were randomly assigned to continue the same dose of venlafaxine or switch to placebo for a 6-month double-blind treatment phase. Patients who continued to receive venlafaxine experienced a significantly longer time to relapse as compared with patients switched to placebo.