Evidence supporting the use of: Picamilon
For the health condition: Anxiety Disorders

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 2

Picamilon (nicotinoyl-GABA) is a compound synthesized from niacin (vitamin B3) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). It was developed in Russia in the 1960s and has been studied mainly in Russian and Eastern European literature. The rationale for its use in anxiety disorders is based on its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, where it is hydrolyzed into GABA and niacin. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter implicated in anxiety regulation, and the hypothesis is that increasing central GABAergic activity may reduce anxiety symptoms.

Several small clinical trials and preclinical (animal) studies suggest that Picamilon may have anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) properties. For example, Russian studies from the 1970s and 1980s reported improvements in anxiety symptoms and stress reactivity in patients with neurotic disorders. However, these studies often suffer from methodological limitations, such as small sample sizes, lack of placebo control, and limited peer-reviewed publication outside of Russia. There is a lack of high-quality, large-scale, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials published in internationally recognized scientific journals.

Outside of Russia, Picamilon is not approved as a pharmaceutical for anxiety disorders, and it is classified as a prescription drug or even banned in some countries. The overall scientific evidence supporting its use for anxiety disorders is limited and not robust by modern clinical standards, justifying a modest evidence rating.

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Products containing Picamilon

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