An Eight-Week Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of SR58611A in Patients With Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) as defined by DSM-IV-TR criteria and confirmed by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) plus GAD Module * Total score on the 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) equal or above 20. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder as defined by DSM-IV-TR within 6 months of study entry. * Patients with a Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score of 18 or higher at screening or baseline visits. * Patients having a moderate to high current risk for suicide. * Patients with other current anxiety disorder assessed with the MINI: agoraphobia, social phobia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder. * Patients with a lifetime history according to the MINI of: bipolar disorders, psychotic disorders, antisocial personality disorder. * Patients with severe or unstable concomitant medical conditions according to the Investigator's judgment. * Females who are pregnant or lactating. * Female patients of childbearing potential must use an effective method of birth control during the entire study period. * Patients with positive test for any illicit drug included in the urine drug screen. * Participation in a clinical trial of an experimental therapy within 3 months prior to screening