Suriclone and diazepam in the treatment of neurotic anxiety. A double-blind cross-over trial.

Suriclone is a new anxiolytic drug belonging to the family of cyclopyrrolones. Although chemically entirely different from the benzodiazepines, it acts as a benzodiazepine agonist with very high affinity for the benzodiazepine receptors. In the present cross-over study, 33 out-patients with a diagnosis of neurotic anxiety were treated with suriclone (mean dose 2 mg/day) and diazepam (25 mg/day) in two 6-week periods. Both drugs had a significant anxiolytic effect, but diazepam appeared to have a better effect within the first 2 weeks of treatment, while no significant difference was seen after treatment, while no significant difference was seen after treatment for 6 weeks. Suriclone and diazepam had a different side effect profile: suriclone produced mainly dizziness, while diazepam caused sedation. This may reflect the fact that suriclone and benzodiazepines bind to distinct sites or different allosteric conformations of the benzodiazepine receptors.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes