Antianxiety properties of lormetazepam. A double-blind crossover trial versus diazepam.

A double-blind crossover trial was carried out to compare the anxiolytic activity of lormetazepam vs diazepam. After 1 week of placebo, the drugs were administered for 4 weeks (10 drops twice daily) to 10 subjects with anxiety disorders. Each patient received either lormetazepam or diazepam and modifications of symptoms were evaluated through a series of tests at various intervals (days 0, 8, 16, 24, 32 and 40 of the study). Both drugs proved to be effective and significantly superior to placebo. They were both well tolerated.