Beneficial effects of Silexan on co-occurring depressive symptoms in patients with subthreshold anxiety and anxiety disorders: randomized, placebo-controlled trials revisited

Silexan is a proprietary active substance produced from Lavandula angustifolia, with proven anxiolytic efficacy in subthreshold and generalized anxiety disorder as well as in mixed anxiety and depressive disorder with beneficial impact on anxiety-related sleep disturbances. The pharmacological profile and clinical observations suggest that Silexan may also have an antidepressant effect. To investigate the effect of Silexan on co-occurring depressive symptoms, we present a meta-analysis of the five placebo-controlled clinical trials hitherto performed with Silexan in subthreshold anxiety (n = 3) and anxiety disorders (n = 2). Patients of all trials received Silexan 1 × 80 mg/day or placebo for 10 weeks according to random assignment. Assessment of the antidepressant effect was based on item ‘depressed mood’ from the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) administered in all trials and on the total scores of the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) or the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) used in three trials. After 10-week treatment, patients receiving Silexan showed significantly more pronounced score reduction for HAMA item ‘depressed mood’ than those in the placebo group (p = 0.01). Significant superiority of Silexan over placebo could also be shown for mean MADRS or HAMD total score reduction (three studies; p < 0.01). Silexan-treated patients with more severe depressive symptoms at baseline showed more pronounced improvements than those with milder symptoms. Our meta-analysis clearly shows that Silexan has a beneficial effect on co-occurring depressive symptoms in patients with subthreshold anxiety and anxiety disorders and may, hence, lead to important therapeutic implications for depressive disorders.