Cutting-Edge Autism Therapy & Treatment Options
With this drug, children began to speak for the first time
In a clinical trial consisting of 10 boys with autism, 5 received doses of the drug. “Children began to talk sometimes for the first time in sentences in their life,” said Prof. Naviaux. The boys who received Suramin experienced improvements in their social, language and motor skills. Moreover, their autism severity scores dropped from 8.6 to 7.
Prof. Naviaux noted that the boys who received the drug, most but not all of the effects, wore off in two months. “Some children had learned to tie their shoes for the first time, and other children had learned to zip up a jacket. Those fine motor skills were motor memory that had been retained,” he said. The professor is planning on conducting several phase 2 trials in order to thoroughly examine the safety and effectiveness of Suramin. However, it may be 3-5 years before the trials begin.
