Diazepam (Valium) was developed by the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Hoffmann-La Roche in early 1960's and approved for use in 1963. Its predecessor, chlordiazepoxide, was two and a half times less effective and diazepam has quickly surpassed it in sales. When Valium saw a huge success on the market other pharmaceutical companies have started to introduce their own benzodiazepine derivatives to compete with the new drug.
The benzodiazepines have quickly become a suitable substitute for barbiturates among healthcare professionals because of their wide potency and almost harmless effects. In therapeutic doses diazepam has much stronger sedative effect as compared to barbiturates. It is also much safer to use with very rare cases of lethal overdose, which has usually resulted from mixing Diazepam with other depressing substances such as alcohol or sedatives.
Since 1969 Valium was the most sold drug in the United States with a peak in 1978 when 2.3 billion tablets were sold. For the last forty years Valium remains to be one of the most prescribed drugs all over the world. It has also entered the list of core medications by the World Health Organisation, which means it is mandatory for any basic healthcare system. During its history, diazepam has shifted its primary use between different areas of pharmacology. First it was used mainly by psychiatrists for the short-term treatment of anxiety. Today Valium is mainly used by neurologists who prescribe it for treating certain types of epilepsy and spastic activity. Valium is also one of the main drugs that is used for treating a rare condition called stiff-person syndrome. |
