title: Antiarrhythmic efficacy of Ethmozine (moricizine HCl) compared with disopyramide and propranolol.
abstract: In the investigation of new antiarrhythmic drugs, comparative trials with clinically available antiarrhythmic agents provide a perspective from which to judge the new investigational agent. Two clinical investigations of moricizine HCl, each using a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover design, are summarized. In the first study, 18 patients with greater than or equal to 30 ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) per hour (mean 369 +/- 95) were given propranolol (120 mg daily) compared with moricizine HCl (816 +/- 103 mg daily). Propranolol suppressed 38% of VPCs in the study group, moricizine HCl, 81% of VPCs, and the combination of both drugs, 87%. Moricizine HCl was more effective than propranolol in suppressing VPCs at all individual levels greater than 70% (p less than 0.05, McNemar's test). The combination of moricizine HCl and propranolol was well tolerated. The second investigation used a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover design to compare the efficacy of disopyramide (600 mg daily) and moricizine HCl (800 mg daily) in 27 patients. Patients had greater than or equal to 40 VPCs/hr on a 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram. During moricizine HCl administration, the mean VPC frequency decreased from 524 to 151 VPCs/hr (71.2% reduction). In contrast, disopyramide reduced VPC frequency from 535 to 253 VPCs/hr (52.8% reduction) and demonstrated significantly greater side effects (p less than 0.05). Moricizine HCl was more effective than disopyramide in suppressing VPCs at all individual percent reduction levels greater than 70% (p less than 0.05, McNemar's test). Moricizine HCl was more effective in suppressing VPCs than either disopyramide or propranolol, with significantly fewer side effects.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Butman
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knoll
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: English
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004206:Disopyramide / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016293:Moricizine; D010640:Phenothiazines / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011433:Propranolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D010640:Phenothiazines; D016293:Moricizine; D011433:Propranolol; D004206:Disopyramide