COENZYME Q10 AGAIN FOUND
SAFE, WELL TOLERATED IN ALS

Larger Study to Test for Benefit

Neurologist and MDA grantee Merit Cudkowicz, who is associated with the MDA ALS Center at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, announced that her pilot study of coenzyme Q10 (coQ10) in 31 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has shown this dietary supplement to be safe and well tolerated at a daily dosage of 3,000 milligrams administered for up to eight months. Side effects included mild nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

The results were announced by Cudkowicz on Dec. 3 at the 15th International Symposium on ALS/MND, organized by the Motor Neurone Disease Association and held in Philadelphia.

Coenzyme Q10 is thought to improve the function of the “mitochondria,” the energy-producing units inside cells, and has been identified as a substance that may slow the progression of ALS.

In August, investigators at the Eleanor and Lou Gehrig MDA ALS Center at Columbia University in New York announced similar results for their small study of safety and tolerability of coQ10 in ALS. (See http://www.mda.org/research/view_ctrial.aspx?id=20)

The National Institutes of Health has granted funding for a larger study to evaluate the effectiveness of coQ10 in ALS. This new study, soon to be under way, will take place at multiple sites, including Massachusetts General Hospital and Columbia.

The coordinator for that study is Alexandra Barsdorf, (212) 342-3026 or aib2104@columbia.edu.