The company's Phase 3 study of Effexor in patients with GAD conducted in Japan had achieved its primary goal of superiority of anxiolytic effects of Effexor compared to placebo at 8 weeks.

Within a few years, it had become a best-seller that spawned many similar drugs, from citalopram (Celexa) and paroxetine (Paxil) to sertraline (Zoloft) and venlafaxine (Effexor). Side effects such ...