Trial of an ACTH4-9 Analogue (ORG 2766) in children with intractable seizures.
The ACTH4-9 Analogue (ORG 2766) is an orally administered neuropeptide which has been showed to have behavioral effects in human subjects, but does not have any steroidogenic effects, nor other significant side effects. This study was a double-blind, crossover trial of the ACTH4-9 analogue in four children with intractable seizures. There was some slight improvement in seizure frequency in two patients, with an equivocal improvement in a third child. A fourth child was unchanged, while the fifth dropped out of the study. There were no side effects from the therapy. This questionable improvement in seizure frequency in some of the most intractable patients with seizure disorders indicates the need to further assess this ACTH4-9 analogue in a larger study over a longer period of time.
No evidence was found for the efficacy or safety of corticosteroids in treating childhood epilepsies. Clinicians using steroids in childhood epilepsies, other than for epileptic spasms, should take this into account before using these agents.