[4-Aminopyridine (Fampridine). A new attempt for the symptomatic treatment of multiple sclerosis]

Nervenarzt. 2010 Feb;81(2):203-11. doi: 10.1007/s00115-009-2902-2.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Mobility limitation is a frequent clinical symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) that poses a therapeutic challenge. For years results of animal experiments and clinical experience have indicated that the potassium channel blocker 4-aminopyridine improves axonal excitatory circuits and thus muscular strength in demyelinating diseases. A recently conducted randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase 3 clinical trial in MS patients was able to show that an oral sustained-release formulation of 4-aminopyridine (Fampridine-SR) represents a suitable agent for treatment of walking disability in MS patients.This overview presents the study data and discusses the value of 4-aminopyridine for the symptomatic treatment of MS as a neurofunctional modifier of this disabling disease.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • 4-Aminopyridine / adverse effects
  • 4-Aminopyridine / therapeutic use*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic
  • Disability Evaluation
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mobility Limitation*
  • Multicenter Studies as Topic
  • Multiple Sclerosis / diagnosis
  • Multiple Sclerosis / drug therapy*
  • Muscle Strength / drug effects
  • Potassium Channel Blockers / adverse effects
  • Potassium Channel Blockers / therapeutic use*
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Substances

  • Potassium Channel Blockers
  • 4-Aminopyridine