Gepirone is a chemical analogue of buspirone and also acts as a partial agonist at 5-HT1A receptors. It is active in animal models predictive of anxiolytic action and also shows antidepressant activity in preclinical studies. With long-term administration, gepirone downregulates 5-HT2 receptors, which is a property common to nearly all antidepressant drugs (Stahl 1994). This dual action, suggesting both anxiolytic and antidepressant effects, is typical of many compounds acting at 5-HT1A receptors and may indicate that such compounds may be useful in the treatment of mixed anxiety and depression (Stahl, in press).
Preliminary phase II clinical data have shown that gepirone is an effective anxiolytic that significantly reduces both psychic and somatic symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. Like buspirone, gepirone does not impair memory, verbal fluency, or psychomotor performance (Harto and Branconnier 1988).
