What is goat serum (aimspro)?
Updated 06/04/2005
This treatment uses antibodies from the serum (the fluid portion of blood) of goats that have been inoculated with a variety of vaccines, to generate neutralising antibodies.
Antibodies are proteins produced by white blood cells in response to an antigen (foreign protein), to destroy/neutralise the antigen. The strong anti-inflammatory component of the serum is thought by researchers to be 'potentially useful' in the treatment of MS.
Evidence
Much anecdotal evidence seems to exist in support of a beneficial effect in MS but there is no research evidence or published information available to back up the anecdotal claims.
Side effects appear to be extremely limited although controlled research is necessary before conclusions can be reached.
A large number of people with MS have been receiving goat serum, via informed consent. This means they are receiving it through a GP but are NOT part of a controlled trial. No more people can receive this drug via informed consent.
Clinical trials
- A controlled trial involving 80 participants all with Secondary Progressive MS(where half of the participants receive the treatment and half are on placebo (a dummy treatment) was taking place at St George's Hospital in South London. This trial was halted early in 2005. We await further information on this trial.
- A second controlled trial occuring in Oxford, involving participants with optic neuritis has been taking place. Neurologists stated recently that further evidence is needed after disappointing trial results.
- A third trial is being planned, with a focus on acute relapses in MS. This trial is awaiting ethical approval - once received, information regarding recruitment to this trial will be posted on this website.
Availability
Speaking in Parliament in December 2004, Health Minister Lord Warner said: "The treatment Aimspro is not licensed for use in the UK and, therefore, will not be widely available in the NHS. A specialist neurologist who wished to prescribe the treatment on a named-patient basis would need to agree funding with the appropriate primary care organisation and make a special arrangement with the manufacturer."
As with any therapy or potential therapy, the MS Society recommends people with MS should consult their neurologist before embarking on treatment. Neurologists can be expected to be cautious about prescribing the drug until peer-reviewed evidence from trials of the drug's effectiveness and safety is published.
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