title: Efficacy and safety of moricizine in patients with ventricular tachycardia: results of a placebo-controlled prospective long-term clinical trial.
abstract: This was a prospective, placebo-controlled, single-blind trial of moricizine (ethmozine) in a dose averaging 10 mg/kg/day in 50 patients, the single entrance criterion being the presence of 10 or more runs of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) on a screening 24 hr ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) recording. Electrophysiologic study was not included as part of this trial design. The placebo frequency of VT (average 3 days of recording) was 1036 +/- 479 runs of VT per day. Most patients (31/50) had coronary artery disease. The study population had a mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 36 +/- 16%; 20 patients also had a history of sustained VT. Protocol failure was defined as failure to achieve a 75% or greater reduction in runs of VT (as judged by ambulatory ECG recording) and/or recurrence of sustained VT while on moricizine. Among the 48 patients treated with moricizine, the drug was initially efficacious in 35 (73%), with two-thirds having total abolition of nonsustained VT. Although it was effective in reducing runs of nonsustained VT, moricizine was ineffective in preventing the recurrence of sustained VT (63% failure rate). Side effects were uncommon and the drug was well tolerated in most patients with LVEFs of 30% or less.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016293:Moricizine; D010640:Phenothiazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D010919:Placebos; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D010640:Phenothiazines; D010919:Placebos; D016293:Moricizine