Clenbuterol shows mixed results in pilot trial

An article written by Amy Madsen for MDA’s Quest Magazine describes a pilot trial using Clenbuterol for a treatment for Kennedy’s Disease (SBMA). To read the entire article, follow this link: Clenbuterol Study.
 
 

Summary of Trial

Results from a 20-person pilot trial suggest that clenbuterol may improve motor and respiratory function in people with spinal-bulbar muscular atrophy, but safety concerns were raised.
 

Article Highlights:

• Treatment with a drug called Clenbuterol was well-tolerated and was correlated with an increase in walking distance and respiratory capacity in a 20-person, open-label pilot study in Italy in people with spinal-bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA).
• During the trial, muscle strength did not improve, and an indicator of ongoing muscle damage increased in blood samples.
• Clenbuterol, which belongs to a class of drugs called beta 2 agonists, is approved in some countries for treatment of asthma or other breathing disorders, but is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat human conditions or diseases in the United States.
• Study investigators suggest that additional clinical trials to test the therapeutic potential of Clenbuterol, or similar beta 2 agonist drugs, in people with SBMA may be warranted.