Abstract

Since digoxin was isolated in 1930¹ it has become the most commonly prescribed cardiac glycoside in this country. Because oral digoxin is incompletely absorbed attempts have been made to produce a better absorbed derivative. This has led to the introduction of medigoxin (β-methyl digoxin; Lanitop - Roussel) which is prepared by the methylation of digoxin. Medigoxin has been used elsewhere in Europe for some years.