Nutriceutical activity in MS trial?

Would you take omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids? #MSBlog #MSResearch

Pantzaris et al. A novel oral nutraceutical formula of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids with vitamins (PLP10) in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled proof-of-concept clinical trial. BMJ Open. 2013 Apr; 3(4).

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether three novel interventions, formulated based on a systems medicine therapeutic concept, reduces disease activity in RRMSers who were either treated or not with disease-modifying treatment.


DESIGN: A 30-month randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design, phase II proof-of-concept clinical study.

PARTICIPANTS: 80 participants were randomised into four groups of 20 each. A total of 41 (51%) MSers completed the 30-month trial. The eligibility criteria were an age of 18-65; a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS according to the McDonald criteria; a score of 0.0-5.5 on the EDSS; MRI showing lesions consistent with MS; at least one documented clinical relapse and either receiving or not a disease-modifying treatment within the 24-month period before enrolment in the study. MSers were excluded because of a recent (<30 days) relapse, prior immunosuppressant or monoclonal antibody therapy, pregnancy or nursing, other severe disease compromising organ function, progressive MS, history of recent drug or alcohol abuse, use of any additional food supplements, vitamins or any form of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and a history of severe allergic or anaphylactic reactions or known specific nutritional hypersensitivity.

INTERVENTIONS: The first intervention (A) was composed of Ω-3 and Ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids at 1:1 wt/wt. Specifically, the Ω-3 fatty acids were docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid at 3:1 wt/wt, and the Ω-6 fatty acids were linoleic acid and γ-linolenic acid at 2:1 wt/wt. This intervention also included minor quantities of other specific polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids as well as vitamin A and vitamin E (α-tocopherol). The second intervention (B, PLP10) was a combination of A and γ-tocopherol. The third intervention (C) was γ-tocopherol alone. The fourth group of 20 participants received placebo. The interventions were administered per os (by mouth) once daily, 30 min before dinner for 30 months.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was the annualised relapse rate (ARR) of the three interventions versus the placebo at 2 years. The secondary endpoint was the time to confirmed disability progression at 2 years.

RESULTS: A total of 41 (51%) MSers completed the 30-month trial. Overall, for the per-protocol analysis of the 2-year primary end point, eight relapses were recorded in the PLP10 group (n=10; 0.40 ARR) versus 25 relapses in the placebo group (n=12; 1.04 ARR), representing a 64% adjusted relative rate reduction for the PLP10 group (RRR 0.36, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.87, p=0.024). In a subgroup analysis that excluded patients on monoclonal antibody (natalizumab) treatment, the observed adjusted RRR became stronger (72%) over the 2 years (RRR 0.28, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.79, p=0.016). The per-protocol analysis for the secondary outcome at 2 years, the time to disability progression, was significantly longer only for PLP10. The cumulative probability of disability progression at 2 years was 10% in the PLP10 group and 58% in the placebo group (unadjusted log-rank p=0.019). In a subgroup analysis that excluded patients on natalizumab, the cumulative probability of progression was 10% for the 10 patients in the PLP10 group and 70% for the 12 patients in the placebo group, representing a relative 86% decrease in the risk of the sustained progression of disability in the PLP10 group (unadjusted log-rank p=0.006; adjusted HR, 0.11; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.97, p=0.047). No adverse events were reported. Interventions A (10 patients) and C (9 patients) showed no significant efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS: In this small proof-of-concept, randomised, double-blind clinical trial; the PLP10 treatment significantly reduced the ARR and the risk of sustained disability progression without any reported serious adverse events. Larger studies are needed to further assess the safety and efficacy of PLP10.


"Do you find these results interesting? Are they too good to be true? Possibly. The results are driven by the large number of relapses in the placebo group; 25 relapses is a large number. An AAR of 1.04 is an outlier in terms of contemporary trials, most current trials have AAR of less than 0.5 in the placebo groups. Will I be recommending Ω-3 and Ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids to all MSers in my care? No, the level of evidence in this study is not good enough to be confident that this trials result was due to a type 1 or false positive error. This is why regulatory authorities require two positive trials."


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