Pantoprazole, a substituted benzimidazole, is a potent and well tolerated inhibitor of the gastric H+,K(+)-ATPase with a low potential to inhibit cytochrome P450. In this randomized, placebo-controlled two-period crossover study, 12 healthy volunteers received placebo (reference) and 240 mg of pantoprazole (test) i.v. within 2 min once daily for 7 days each. On day 4 of either period, a 1 min bolus of diazepam (0.1 mg kg-1 body weight) was additionally injected. Pantoprazole was well tolerated and did not cause clinically relevant changes in heart rate, blood pressure, ECG and routine clinical laboratory parameters. There was no effect on diazepam clearance (0.021 1 h-1 kg-1 for test and reference) and elimination half-life (36.8 for test, 40.4 h for reference). Diazepam metabolism to desmethyldiazepam was not affected by pantoprazole. In conclusion, pantoprazole and diazepam may be administered concomitantly without dose adjustment even when high doses of pantoprazole are required.