Pindolol: experience gained in 10 years of safety monitoring

The benefit to be expected from any drug therapy should outweigh its inherent risk. All adverse events reported in connection with administration of pindolol have been carefully analyzed since this drug was marketed 10 years ago. The investigation included the data published in the literature, the information provided by spontaneous reporting or by bulletins issued by various national drug evaluation committees, and the results obtained by intensive hospital monitoring. This international surveillance reveals that pindolol elicits adverse reactions related to beta-adrenoceptor blockade; however, the incidence and especially the intensity of this type of side effect appear to be attenuated by the intrinsic sympathomimetic property exhibited by pindolol. Some other reported side effects, in general equally mild, cannot be explained by the known pharmacodynamic properties of pindolol. However, no specific toxicity has been observed even after long-term treatment. Taking into consideration that pindolol has been used for more than 3.7 million patient-years, it is certainly justified to assume that the full spectrum of adverse reactions that might be induced by this drug has been recognized and that in all probability no severe new untoward effects will be observed in the future.