Abstract
Summary
Benzmalecene in 0.5-1.0 g/day of the free acid (or sodium salt) was studied in 6 patients for 10 to 53 days. Serum total cholesterol levels in this group were decreased by an average of 18%. Accordingly, this drug shows promise as serum cholesterol depressant. However, treatment with benzmalecene was associated with decreases in serum alkaline phosphatase and a drop in cholesterol ester levels in disproportion to decrease of serum total cholesterol. These changes as well as occurrence of eosinophilia in 2 subjects suggest that benzmalecene in amounts used in this study may prove to be too toxic for clinical use.
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