The albuterol trial at UCLA

Albuterol is a drug that is normally given to people with asthma to help them breathe better. Research has found that in the form of a long acting pill, it also has the effect of increasing lean muscle mass in normal individuals. We are currently conducting an MDA sponsored, placebo- controlled, double-blind cross over study to test the efficacy of albuterol in helping DMD boys to retain their muscle mass and gain strength.

Patients in the study take drug for 3 months and placebo for 3 months with a 3 month washout period in between. If your child completes the 9 month study, you will have the option of entering him into an open-label trial for six months in which he is continuously on albuterol and is monitored every three months.

Eligibility

To participate, patients must have been diagnosed with DMD and must be between the ages of 6-11. Your child must be ambulatory and cannot have taken deflazacort or prednisone for the last 3 months before entering the trial. There are 8 mandatory visits that must be made to the UCLA Neurology clinic in Westwood, during those 9 months. Patients must pay for all travel expenses however, we will pay for all clinic visits, parking costs and for the cost of the medication during the trialperiod.

On each visit, your son will have his muscles tested using several different methods, including Manual Muscle Test and Kincom machine. He will also be given a DEXA scan (low dose X ray) 4 times during the study. Each clinic visit takes approximately 2-3 hours. There will not be any blood drawn or biopsy taken.

For more information

For more information about enrolling your child in this study, please contact the study coordinator:

Melissa J. Spencer, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
UCLA Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Center
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606
Phone: (310) 794-5225
Fax: (310) 825-8489
email: mspencer@mednet.ucla.edu