Librium: Drug Stories Part IV
Discovery of Chlordiazepoxide (Librium) Chlordiazepoxide, or more commonly, Librium , is a drug used to control anxiety. It belongs to the class of chemicals called benzodiazepines. It was the first drug of this class reported to have tranquilising effect on brain. Its discovery opened up the road to the synthesis of many of its better and safer benzodiazepine derivatives. Serendipity, or chance discovery, has contributed in a big way to the discovery of new drugs. Discovery of chlordiazepoxide makes an interesting case of serendipity. Leo Sternbach , a Polish American scientist working with Roche, a Swiss pharmaceutical firm was assigned the job of coming up with agents acting on nervous system. In 1950s, barbiturates had gained popularity as antianxiety agents but suffered with many side effects, addiction being the most serious. Sternbach had worked with benzoheptoxdiazines while working on his project for discov