Panic disorder is a chronic, disabling condition that will affect 3 to 6 million Americans at some time in their lives. Paxil is the first and only antidepressant indicated for treating panic disorder and the first new drug therapy to be cleared for panic disorder in nearly a decade. We believe that Paxil will provide physicians the ability to significantly relieve the symptoms of this disorder and get their patients' lives back on track.
Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent panic attacks.
A panic attack is a sudden, unprovoked episode in which sufferers experience physical symptoms such as a racing, pounding heartbeat, chest pain, breathlessness, and choking and may fear they are losing control or are in imminent danger of dying. Many patients suffer for years with this chronic condition before being diagnosed, and long-term therapy is often needed. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from panic disorder, and the most common age of onset is the late teens and early twenties. Yet, panic attacks and panic disorder are found in people of all ages. Despite its prevalence, panic disorder is underdiagnosed, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, which estimates that only one out of three panic disorder sufferers have been correctly diagnosed and treated.