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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder without effective treatments. Minocycline, an antibiotic with anti-inflammatory properties, is neuroprotective in animal models of several neurologic disorders, including ALS. To examine the efficacy of this antibiotic as a neuroprotectant, researchers randomized 412 patients with ALS to 400 mg of minocycline daily for 9 months.
Participants’ rate of decline, measured by the revised ALS Functional Rating Score (ALSFRS-R), was faster in the minocycline-treated group (–1.30 vs. –1.04 units/month, P=0.005). Survival duration and measures of breathing and strength did not differ significantly in the two groups. Gastrointestinal and neurologic adverse events were more commo…