A new skeletal muscle relaxant (DS 103-282) compared to diazepam in the treatment of muscle spasm of local origin.

The myotonolytic activity of a new muscle-relaxant, DS 103-282, was compared with that of diazepam in a randomized double-blind study on thirty patients suffering from acute muscular spasm due to disorders of the cervical and lumbar segments of the spine. Fifteen patients received 5 mg DS 103-282 and fifteen received 5 mg diazepam on a three times daily regime for 7 days. DS 103-282 was found to alleviate symptoms and improve mobility to a significant degree (p less than or equal to 0.05) in all parameters evaluated and was also significantly superior to diazepam in 5 of these. Onset of action was particularly rapid for DS 103-282. Both medications were well tolerated and there was no significant difference between them. On the basis of these data DS 103-282 may be considered a more powerful and faster-acting myotonolytic agent than diazepam with which it was compared in similar clinical indications.