MEDICINE : Panic-Disorder Drug Approved
<i> From Times Wire Services</i>
WASHINGTON —
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to treat panic disorder, a mental illness expected to strike about 3 million Americans during their lives, it was announced today.
The drug, alprazolam or Xanax Tablets, has been on the market for about 10 years for reducing general anxiety. However, until the action by the FDA, it could not be marketed for panic disorder.
Xanax is the first and only drug in the United States specifically indicated for treatment of panic disorder, FDA spokeswoman Eva Kemper said. Doctors can prescribe government-approved drugs for any use they want and many in recent years have been prescribing Xanax for panic disorder, but insurers often refuse to pay for anything but FDA-sanctioned uses.
