Summary: Secretin is a controversial enzyme therapy of AUTISM with some anecdotal reports of unexpected success but no standard well-controlled clinical trial proof of efficacy as yet. We include some reports and opinions on this subject. Even today, it remains controversial. Last updated January 21, 2007

 

SECRETIN IN CP: HOPES AND CONTROVERSIES

Description

Secretin is an enzyme, administered intravenously, that is claimed to confer some benefits in selected cases of autism.

Trial report

A study on Secretin was reported in The New England Journal of Medicine of December 1999, one of the most respected medical journals in the world.
The study compared the effect of administration of Secretin to that of placebo (false /inert drug in identical looking formulation, to avoid bias) in patients of autism.
The study did not find any benefit in using the drug in Autism since it worked no better than a placebo in its first two rigorous studies, The authors suggest that there seems to be a significant placebo effect, but no difference between Secretin and placebo.
The authors suggest that the agent, Secretin should not be recommended to treat autism until the results of other ongoing studies are known, even though some children who participated in the study, did benefit from all the intensive care given to all.

Trial Protocol

 Intravenous doses of Secretin - a digestive enzyme that costs $180 per vial - are used since anecdotal reports claimed benefit from the drug. Such reports prompted these studies where the drug is given to some children and the benefits compared to another group of children who are given a similar inert substance. Both groups are evenly matched in all parameters and given the same intensive care. Both batches of drug are packed in similar way and code marked. The identity of the drug is kept a secret and put in a sealed envelope, to be opened after the trial is over. Thus, neither the doctor actually handling the child and administering the drug knows the identity of the drug, nor does the patient.
Two studies are now published: (a) New England Journal of Medicine, December 1999, and (b) Medscape Internet site in October 1999 (by Dr.Edwin Cook, Univ. of Chicago). Neither found any benefit from Secretin.
The only benefit, seen in both groups (active drug and placebo) was due to the attention from doctors, parents and others. The actual benefits thus seemed to come only from long, painstaking work with behaviour or speech problems.

The other side of the coin for Secretin

Secretin is advocated by its patent holders: Bernard Rimland, Head of the Autism Research Institute in San Diego, and Victoria Beck, who first called attention to the enzyme after her son's improvement. She has a 43-year-old autistic son, who is claimed to have improved significantly with Secretin.

This section is based on NEJM, Medscape and reports from The Associated Press.

WE DO NOT ENDORSE IT, BECAUSE WE HAVE NO EXPERIENCE OF IT & WE HAVE NOT READ ANYTHING CONCRETE SO FAR TO ENDORSE IT.


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