A comparison of the anxiolytic properties of Tofisopam and Clonazepam—A randomized controlled study

Anxiety acts as an alerting signal. It is characterized by a diffuse, unpleasant, and vague sense of apprehension, often accompanied by autonomic symptoms such as headache, perspiration, palpitations, chest tightness, stomach discomfort, and restlessness. These symptoms tend to vary among persons. Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric conditions. It is also the leading cause of distress and impairment. This group includes clinically related but distinct mental disorders. It includes panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Clonazepam and etizolam are established as anxiolytic agents. Tofisopam was approved over 35 years ago and was recently launched in India. It is efficacious compared to other benzodiazepines in treating anxiety disorders. It was found to have significant anxiolytic effects with no impairment of attention or somnolence and was well tolerated with no adverse effects. The clinical effect of tofisopam is evident as early as 1 week, with a maximum response by 3 weeks, at a dose of 150 to 300 mg/day. This would prove to be a game-changer in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Data exists on the clinical effectiveness of Tofisopam in anxiety disorders, but there is a lack of research on the direct comparison of Tofisopam with other established benzodiazepines in patients with anxiety disorders. We intend to explore this aspect and find out whether, in comparison with Clonazepam, Tofisopam is effective and has a better side effect profile. This can have more clinical implications for the use of tofisopam clinically.