Ethinamate and Methyprylone as Hypnotics: A Comparative Trial

The use of barbiturates in the treatment of insomnia carries a constant risk of habituation and of fatal poisoning from suicidal or accidental overdose. For these reasons, new non-barbiturate hypnotics deserve the closest attention. Ethinamate (“Valmidate”) and methyprylone (“Noludar”) are two such drugs. No trial comparing the hypnotic efficacy of ethinamate with a barbiturate has yet been reported, though Gruber et al. (1954) found the day-time sedative effect of 500 mg. ethinamate to be less (in duration of action) than 100 mg. of quinalbarbitone sodium. Methyprylone has been compared with barbiturate by Stewart (1956) who found 200 mg. equivalent to 100 mg. of amylo- or butobarbitone, by Lasagna (1956) who found 250 mg. equivalent to 100 mg. of pento- or quinal-barbitone, and by Thomson (1958) who found 400 mg. equivalent to 100 mg. of quinalbarbitone.