Effect of Pronethalol in Angina Pectoris

Abstract

The problem of assessing the numerous new drugs offered to clinicians is continuously increasing. It is not always possible, even if desirable, to mount a substantial and definitive therapeutic trial for each new drug in a single department. In these circumstances close observation of a few patients in several centres may provide data adequate to justify more general distribution of a new drug, with minimal diversion of workers from their other tasks. The animal pharmacology of a new adrenergic beta-receptor blocking agent. pronethalol, has been reported by Black and Stephenson (1962), and some aspects of the human pharmacology by Dornhorst and Robinson (1962). It was thought that pronethalol might prove to be beneficial in angina because its restraining effect on tachycardia should reduce the cardiac work, and thus decrease requirements of myocardial oxygen at any given level of exercise.