More on this in DocGuide.com, April 19, 2016:
Clemastine Fumarate May Reverse Chronic Vision Damage Caused by Multiple Sclerosis
VANCOUVER -- April 12, 2016 -- A common antihistamine, clemastine fumarate, partially reversed damage to the visual system in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to findings from a study that will be presented at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).
“This study is exciting because it is the first to demonstrate possible repair of that protective coating in people with chronic demyelination from MS,” said Ari Green, MD, Multiple Sclerosis Center, University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California. “This was done using a drug that was identified at UCSF only 2.5 years ago as an agent with the potential to help with brain repair.”
The 5-month study involved 50 people with an average age of 40 years who had MS for an average of 5 years and had mild disability. They all had evidence of a stable chronic optic neuropathy, meaning that they were not recovering from a recent optic neuritis.
Participants performed vision tests at the start and end of the study. For the visual evoked potential, the time for transmission of signal from the retina to the visual cortex was recorded. To be included in the study, participants had to have a delay in transmission time beyond 118 milliseconds in at least 1 eye and had to have evidence that they had an adequate number of nerve fibres to reinsulate.
For the first 3 months of the study, people were given either clemastine fumarate or a placebo. For the second 2 months, those initially given the drug received the placebo and vice versa.
During the study, delays were reduced by an average of slightly less than 2 milliseconds in each eye per patient among those who received the antihistamine.
“While the improvement in vision appears modest, this study is promising because it is the first time a drug has been shown to possibly reverse the damage done by MS,” said Dr. Green. “Findings are preliminary, but this study provides a framework for future MS repair studies and will hopefully herald discoveries that will enhance the brain’s innate capacity for repair.”
Study participants did report a modest increase in fatigue while taking the drug.
Dr. Green cautioned that more research with larger numbers of people is needed before doctors can recommend clemastine fumarate for people with MS, and that newer medications capable of even more powerful effects are in development, including efforts intended to improve the targeting and reduce side effects from these drugs.
SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology