Synthesis and pharmacological activity of 1,4-benzodiazepine derivatives.

2-Aminobenzamides (3a-g) were prepared starting with isatoic anhydride. These compounds reacted with chloroacetic acid to give (4a-g), which were cyclized by dicyclohexylcorbodiimide to afford (5a-g). The preliminary pharmacological screening revealed that some of the new 2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-3,5(1H,4H)-dione derivatives (5) exhibited CNS-depressant and anticonvulsant activities.