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Circulation, Vol 73, 718-726, Copyright © 1986 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Efficacy and safety of moricizine in patients with ventricular tachycardia: results of a placebo-controlled prospective long-term clinical trial

CM Pratt, A Wierman, AA Seals, L English, C Leon, JB Young, MA Quinones and R Roberts

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.

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				R. Damle, J. Levine, J. Matos, S. Greenberg, R. Brooks, W. Frumkin, J. Goldberger, and A. H. Kadish Efficacy and Risks of Moricizine in Inducible Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia Ann Intern Med, March 1, 1992; 116(5): 375 - 381. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. C. Powell, M. R. Gold, R. Brooks, H. Garan, J. N. Ruskin, and B. A. McGovern Electrophysiologic Response to Moricizine in Patients with Sustained Ventricular Arrhythmias Ann Intern Med, March 1, 1992; 116(5): 382 - 387. [Abstract] [PDF]