Combination therapy shows promise for delaying progression of Lou Gehrig’s disease

In a study, researchers reported that the combination of minocycline and creatine resulted in additive neuroprotection in the case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. After treatment with combination therapy, survival for mice with ALS was extended by 25 percent — or an additional 35 days — when compared to baseline. Survival was extended 13 and 12 percent, respectively, when compared to minocycline and creatine alone. Additionally, the disease onset was also postponed by an additional 28 days, when comparing the cocktail treatment to the control group. The findings are especially compelling, given that both compounds are presently available for human use. Currently, human trials testing both drugs alone are underway. Researcher Robert M. Friedlander and his team speculate that a “cocktail” human trial will be the next logical step, and one that may bring researchers closer to preventing the fast and deadly progression of ALS. The findings were published in the February 2003 issue of the journal Annals of Neurology.