Summary
Rhodiola rosea has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Anxiety Disorders. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Rhodiola rosea to Anxiety Disorders: 1 is currently recruiting; 1 has completed. The most advanced is PHASE2, PHASE3 (NCT04795557). It plans or enrolled 100 participants. Registration activity spans 2021 to 2025. The literature layer holds 2 publications for this pair: 1 Cochrane review and 1 clinical trial publication. Publication years run from 2008 to 2013. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Anxiety ranks 535 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: GAD: spontaneous remission in ~25-30% at 1 year without treatment; social anxiety: 36% remission at 12 years untreated; panic disorder: 50-65% spontaneous partial remission but relapse common; 40-60% remain symptomatic at 5 years.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 17.5 (trials 5.5, literature 7.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 2 total: 1 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 2 (1 Cochrane review, 1 clinical trial publication) |
| Agent type | Supplement (Herbal) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Preclinical |
| Mechanism / class | Anxiety: a look at epidemiological factors and alternate treatments · Halma M, Covarrubias A, Selem E, Varon J · 2025 |
| Data sources | OSMF Chronic Disease Review |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT04795557 | Efficacy of Adaptogens in Patients With Long COVID-19 2021 | completed | PHASE2, PHASE3 | 100 |
| NCT07319117 | Evaluation of the Impact of a Nutritional Formulation on Cognitive Performance Following Stress Exposure. 2025 | recruiting | Not applicable | 40 |
Published literature
- Cochrane review Plant-based medicines for anxiety disorders, part 2: a review of clinical studies with supporting preclinical evidenceSarris J, McIntyre E, Camfield DA · CNS drugs · 2013 · PMID 23653088
- Clinical trial publication A pilot study of Rhodiola rosea (Rhodax) for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)Bystritsky A, Kerwin L, Feusner JD · Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2008 · PMID 18307390
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: Anxiety: a look at epidemiological factors and alternate treatments · Halma M, Covarrubias A, Selem E, Varon J · 2025.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rhodiola rosea approved for Anxiety Disorders?
Rhodiola rosea has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Anxiety Disorders. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Rhodiola rosea in clinical trials for Anxiety Disorders?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Rhodiola rosea to Anxiety Disorders: 1 is currently recruiting; 1 has completed. The most advanced is PHASE2, PHASE3 (NCT04795557). It plans or enrolled 100 participants. Registration activity spans 2021 to 2025.
What does the evidence show for Rhodiola rosea in Anxiety Disorders?
Rhodiola rosea has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Anxiety Disorders. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.