The drug Xanax is a psychoactive drug used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. Its class of drugs, benzodiazepines, target a specific receptor in the brain called the benzodiazepine binding site or benzodiazepine receptor.

Xanax is an anti-anxiety medicine. It works by acting on certain nerve chemicals (neurotransmitters) that are affected when a person is stressed, which causes anxiety and fear.