[4-Aminopyridine (Fampridine). A new attempt for the symptomatic treatment of multiple sclerosis].
Mobility limitation is a frequent clinical symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) that poses a therapeutic challenge. For years results of animal experiments and clinical experience have indicated that the potassium channel blocker 4-aminopyridine improves axonal excitatory circuits and thus muscular strength in demyelinating diseases. A recently conducted randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase 3 clinical trial in MS patients was able to show that an oral sustained-release formulation of 4-aminopyridine (Fampridine-SR) represents a suitable agent for treatment of walking disability in MS patients.This overview presents the study data and discusses the value of 4-aminopyridine for the symptomatic treatment of MS as a neurofunctional modifier of this disabling disease.
Husseini
L
L
Neurologische Klinik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Leussink
V I
VI
Kieseier
B C
BC
Hartung
H-P
HP
D015761:4-Aminopyridine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000187:drug effects; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D015761:4-Aminopyridine