Perhexiline maleate, which causes inhibition of myocardial fatty acid catabolism with a concomitant increase in glucose utilization, is particularly useful in the management of patients with severe angina pectoris. While perhexiline exerts no significant negative inotropic or dromotropic effects, its short- and long-term use has hitherto been restricted because of complex pharmacokinetics and the eventual development, in many patients, of hepatitis and peripheral neuropathy.

Correlations between perhexiline dose, plasma drug concentrations, efficacy and development of toxicity were examined prospectively in 3 groups of patients. The first group (n = 29) were patients in whom perhexiline was added to previously prescribed anti-anginal medication for short-term (pre-surgical or post-myocardial infarction) control of angina pectoris. Over a mean treatment period of 18 ± 2 (SEM) days, 13 patients experienced a marked reduction in frequency and severity of attacks. No adverse effects occurred. A second group of patients (n = 19) were treated chronically with 50–400 mg/day of perhexiline, dosage being adjusted to minimize symptoms. Over a mean treatment period of 8.8 ± 1.7 months, 5 patients became asymptomatic, while 9 developed evidence of hepatitis or neurotoxicity, with concomitant plasma perhexiline concentrations of 720–2680 ng/ml. Subsequently, a further group of similar patients (n = 22) were treated for 12.4 ± 2.6 months, perhexiline dosage being adjusted to maintain plasma perhexiline concentrations below 600 ng/ml. Nine patients became asymptomatic, while none developed adverse effects.

It is concluded that perhexiline is useful both as a short-term adjunct to anti-anginal therapy and in the long-term management of patients unsuitable for coronary artery bypass grafting. The risk of long-term toxicity can be reduced markedly by maintenance of plasma drug concentrations below 600 ng/ml without significantly compromising anti-anginal efficacy.