CLINICAL TRIAL OF A POTENTIATED DIKETOPIPERAZINE DERIVATIVE AS A PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGICAL AGENT FOR THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHOTIC PATIENTS

A clinical study was made of potentiated diketopiperazine, the main ingredient of which is a new psychopharmocological agent; 4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenethyl)-2,6-piperazinedione, potentiated by a new sedative-hypnotic, 2-methyl-3-orthotolyl-4-quinazinolone. Combined molecules were used to treat 58 patients with non-organic psychoses at the Philadelphia State Hospital, classified with respect to behavioral patterns as agitated, paranoid, depressed or catatonic. A control group consisted of 43 psychotic patients, treated with various psychopharmacological drugs according to their specific clinical needs. The percentage of patients showing improvement was about the same in both groups (83% to 86% respectively) even though the potentiated diketopiperazine was given indiscriminantly without respect to type of cases. The diketopiperazine was most beneficial in the nonagitated cases, the best results obtained in cases classified as depressed or catatonic. This drug seemed to be completely free of untoward side effects. The results with diketopiperazine are highly encouraging, and further study may establish it as a useful drug in the treatment of various psychoses, particularly those which can be benefited by an antidepressant.