A new study shows that Paxil is an effective therapy for hypochondria. Paxil (paroxetine HCl) is an anti-anxiety drug used to treat depression and various anxiety disorders. Patients who took Paxil or participated in behavioural therapy were found to have less fear about undiagnosed illnesses than those who took sugar pills. The study was funded by Glaxo SmithKline, the company that makes Paxil. Other studies funded by Glaxo SmithKline include: Paxil: A Cure for Irrational Fear of Man-Eating Leopard-Backed Foot Lice?, Investigating the Uses of Paxil to Treat Paranoid Anvil-Spotting Disorder, and Effects of Paxil on a Father’s Fear of Cardiac Birth Defects in His Unborn Children. That last one is critically important for winning back lost customers since Paxil use by pregnant women was shown to increase the risk of those same birth defects (details on the lawsuit here).