A placebo-controlled trial to investigate the safety and efficacy of Penicillin G/Hydrocortisone in patients with ALS (PHALS trial)

Abstract

Objective: A recent case-series described patients with ALS to improve and/or stabilize after treatment with intravenous high-dose Penicillin G/Hydrocortisone (PenGH). In this study, we determine the safety and efficacy of intravenous PenGH versus placebo in combination with riluzole in patients with ALS.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with ALS according to the El Escorial criteria were randomized double-blind to four quarterly cycles of 21 d of intravenous PenGH or placebo in a 5:3 ratio. The primary outcome was change from baseline to week 48 in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R). Secondary outcomes were lung function, muscle strength, plasma creatinine, clinical stage, gastrostomy placement, quality of life and occurrence of adverse of events.

Results: In total, 16 patients were randomized (10 PenGH and 6 placebo), of which 6 (40%) completed the study. Patients treated with PenGH progressed with 2.2 (95% CI 1.1-3.3) ALSFRS-R points per month and PenGH treatment did not halt disease progression (p = 0.002). No significant differences were found between PenGH or placebo (mean difference 0.5, 95% CI -1.01 to ∞, p = 0.28). Although PenGH was well-tolerated, 6 patients (38%, 3 in each arm) had thrombotic complications due to the intravenous administration method.

Conclusions: Treatment with PenGH does not halt disease or reverse progression in patients with ALS and showed no statistical difference with those who received placebo. Prolonged intravenous administration therapies may inflate thrombosis risk.

Keywords: Clinical trial; Penicillin G; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.