Minocycline in ALS

Gordon PH, Moore DH, Miller RG et al. Efficacy of minocycline in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a phase III randomised trial.

412 patients were randomized to placebo or minocycline in doses up to 400 mg/day for 9 months. Primary outcome measure was rate of change in the revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R). Patients in the minocycline group declined faster and had a trend to declining FVC faster.

Background hypothesis is that minocycline inhibits cell death for apoptosis. It prolongs mice lives in transgenic models of ALS. Trials are done or planned in Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, stroke, dementia, and multiple sclerosis. Authors state the "justification for these trials should be reassessed."

Blogger note: Almost simultaneous, ECTRIMS 2007 reported a disappointing trial of minocycline in MS, and Neurology reported a positive trial regarding the use of minocycline in acute ischemic stroke, the details of which are blogged at the link below.


see also blog about minocycline in stroke:
http://strokenotes.blogspot.com/2008/02/minocycline-treatment-for-acute-stroke.html