MDA-Funded Researcher To Test Tadalafil (Cialis) As Treatment For Becker Muscular Dystrophy

Main Category: Muscular Dystrophy / ALS
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience;  Blood / Hematology;  Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 25 Mar 2010 - 3:00 PDT

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Cedars-Sinai investigators funded by the Muscular Dystrophy Association are registering two dozen ambulatory men with Becker muscular dystrophy for a clinical trial of tadalafil (Cialis) as a treatment for the progressive muscle disease. The randomized, placebo-controlled efficacy study will examine the effects of acute tadalafil dosing on muscle blood flow during a bout of exercise.

About 18 million men have been treated with Cialis since its introduction in 2003 by Eli Lilly and Company.

"Tadalifil has been shown to increase blood flow in muscles, and it has the potential to help people with muscular dystrophy," explains Valerie Cwik, M.D., MDA Executive Vice President Research and Medical Director.

"We are pleased that the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center team led by Dr. Ronald Victor is undertaking a short-term clinical trial of tadalafil in Becker muscular dystrophy," adds Cwik, "especially since recent findings published by the journal Nature showed that dystrophic mice treated with tadalafil were able to perform more exercise with less muscle injury."

In the first phase of the study, men ages 18-55 with and without Becker muscular dystrophy will undergo blood chemistry tests, DNA analysis, MRI scans of their forearm muscles before and after exercise, as well as ultrasound studies of blood flow before and after handgrip exercise. Results will be used to determine which participants best meet study criteria for the trial's medication phase.

In the trial's medication phase, 24 men with Becker muscular dystrophy will repeat the testing after treatment with tadalafil.

"This is an exciting next step in the research I have been doing for 25 years, because we don't need to create a new drug the drug already exists," Victor says. "We now have the opportunity to find out if tadalafil can offer some hope of improving the lives of patients and allow them to do more exercise with less injury."

About The Muscular Dystrophy Association

Founded in 1950, the Muscular Dystrophy Association is the nation's largest non-governmental funder of research seeking treatments and cures for more than 40 neuromuscular diseases, including muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), and Friedreich's ataxia (FA). The first nonprofit organization to be recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Medical Association ("for significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity"), MDA also provides unparalleled health care services through its network of more than 200 hospital-affiliated clinics; advocates for the families it serves; and invests significant resources educating the medical and scientific communities, as well as the general public about neuromuscular diseases affecting more than 1 million Americans. Thanks to decades of generous contributions from caring individuals, plus outstanding support received from local, regional and national sponsors, MDA is credited for its role in building the entire field of neuromuscular disease research, while simultaneously nurturing clinical care to significantly improve both quality and length of lives for those affected by neuromuscular diseases.

About Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute

The Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute is internationally recognized for outstanding heart care built on decades of innovation and leading-edge research. From cardiac imaging and advanced diagnostics to surgical repair of complex heart problems to the training of the heart specialists of tomorrow and research that is deepening medical knowledge and practice, the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute is known around the world for excellence and innovations.

Source: Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)

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