Expert opinion on investigational drugs
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Expert Opin Investig Drugs · May 2009
ReviewSpinal cord injury and neural repair: focus on neuroregenerative approaches for spinal cord injury.
This review discusses the urgent need for improved therapeutic approaches aimed at restoring function following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). The focus of this paper is neuroregenerative approaches for SCI, with a highlighted comparison of recent advances in the field and comparisons to that made by Cethrin (Alseres Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), the leading nerve repair product. ⋯ In a recently concluded Phase I/IIa clinical trial involving 37 patients with either cervical or thoracic SCIs, the evidence for Cethrin indicates that topical administration of either 0.3, 1, 3 or 6 mg of the recombinant rho inhibitor following surgical decompression is safe. Alseres has announced that planning is underway for a Phase IIB trial of Cethrin to include a placebo arm to assess better the drugs' clinical efficacy.